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MJ'i 


A  WINTER 


WEST  INDIES  AND  FLORIDA; 


GENERAL    OBSERVATIONS 

UPON  MODES  OF  TRAVELLING,  MANNERS  AND  CUSTOMS, 
CLIMATES  AND  PRODUCTIONS, 

WITH    A    PARTICULAR    DESCRIPTION    OF 

ST.  CROIX,  TRINIDAD  DE  CUBA,  HAVANA, 
KEY  WEST,  AND  ST.  AUGUSTINE, 

AS  PLACES  OF  RESORT  FOR  NORTHERN  INVALIDS, 


BY    AN    INVALID. 


NEW-YORK  : 

PUBLISHED  BY  WILEY  AND  PUTNAM. 
161  Broadway. 

1839. 


Entered  according  to  an  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1839,  by 
WILEY  &  PUTNAM, 

In  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Southern  District  of 
New-York. 


J.  P.  Wright,  Printer,  18  New  Street,  N.  Y. 


1610 


OS 

Si 


INDEX. 


PACK 

PREFACE.  ........      v 

CHAPTER  I.  Of  Climate  in  general.  .         .         .13 

II.  Author's  Own  Case 25 

III.  The  Voyage 29 

IV.  Bassin,  or  Christianstadt,  St.  Croix.      .     35 

V.  West  End,  or  Frederickstadt.         .         .     49 

VI.  Santa  Cruz  in  general.          .         .         .62 

VII.  Voyage  to  Trinidad  de  Cuba.       .         .     72 

VIII.  Trinidad  de  Cuba 75 

IX.  Voyage  to  Batabanno  and  Havana.       .  106 

X.  Havana 110 

XI.  Key  West 115 

XII.  Voyage  to  St.  Augustine.    .         .        .  137 

XIII.  St.  Augustine 142 

XIV.  Return  Home 159 

XV.  General  Observations  upon  the  West 

Indies  and  Florida.  .         .         .         .168 

XVI.  Preparations  for  going  South.   .         .  190 


PREFACE. 


THE  great  and  constantly  increasing  number  of 
pulmonary  complaints  in  the  United  States,  is 
happily  beginning  to  excite  the  attention  which 
the  importance  of  the  subject  demands.  The 
bills  of  mortality  abundantly  prove,  that  about 
one-fourth  of  the  deaths  in  these  States  is  caused 
by  diseases  of  the  lungs,  in  one  shape  or  other, 
and  the  fairest  and  the  best  of  the  youth  of  our 
land  are  every  day  cut  down  around  us,  in  the 
full  flush  of  youthful  hopes  and  ardent  antici- 
pations ;  discouraged  by  the  almost  equally 
unsuccessful  application  of  patent  quack-nos- 
trums and  scientific  medical  skill,  the  friends 
and  relatives  of  these  unfortunate  victims  of 
premature  decline,  have  generally  abandoned 
ull  hope  of  relief  from  the  earliest  appearance 
of  this  terrible  disease  ;  and,  in  many  cases, 
they  have  been  left  to  pine  away  by  its  slow 
and  sure  operation,  with  the  consoling  reflection 
that  they  were  past  all  hope,  and  had  nothing  to 


VI  PREFACE. 

do  but  wait  patiently  for  death  to  end  their  mis- 
eries. For  a  time,  it  was  supposed  that  much 
might  be  hoped  from  a  winter  residence  in  the 
southern  States  ;  and  many  a  poor  patient  has 
been  sent  to  Charleston  or  Savannah,  St.  Au- 
gustine or  Pensacola,  Mobile  or  New-Orleans, 
or  some  other  equally  unfit  and  improper  place, 
to  add  to  his  other  afflictions,  that  of  dying  in  a 
strange  land,  without  the  consolation  of  his 
friends  to  stand  around  him  in  his  last  moments, 
or  shed  a  tear  over  his  untimely  grave.  So  lit- 
tle benefit  was  found  to  result  from  a  visit  to  the 
southern  States,  that  many  came  to  the  conclu- 
tion  that  no  change  of  climate  could  be  of  any 
avail,  and  refused  to  separate  themselves  from 
their  friends  in  their  days  of  desolation  and  de- 
spair :  choosing,  rather,  to  meet  their  unhappy 
fate  at  home,  than  to  try  so  forlorn  a  hope  as 
that  afforded  by  going  south.  The  enterprise 
of  our  people  had  found  out  every  nook  and 
corner  of  every  State  in  the  Union  where  money 
could  be  made,  and  well  ascertained  the  nature 
of  the  trade  and  commerce  of  every  place  ;  but, 
upon  the  nice  and  important  question  of  the  fit. 
ness  of  a  climate  for  invalids,  very  little  know, 
ledge  was  obtained,  partly  because  the  attention 
of  the  healthy  was  never  turned  to  the  subject, 
but  more  because  no  healthy  man  can  be  a  com' 


PREFACE.  VU 

petent  judge  of  such  matters ;  and  invalids  were 
unable  to  make  the  proper  investigations,  or  to 
publish  them  when  made.  It  is  only  within  the 
last  few  years,  that  the  idea  has  become  preva- 
lent, even  among  physicians,  that  the  southern 
States  of  this  Union  are  the  most  unfit  place  on 
earth  for  invalids,  and  that  the  whole  winter 
season  there,  is  not  unlike  November  and  April 
in  the  north,  which  every-body  knows,  or  ought 
to  know,  are  the  worst  months  in  the  year. 

So  great  is  the  ignorance  upon  this  subject, 
that  it  is  believed  more  than  five  hundred  from 
the  northern  and  middle  States  are  sent  on  a 
useless  pilgrimage  annually :  the  same  patient 
scarcely  ever  going  more  than  once,,  having 
learned  by  experience  that  it  was  merely 
changing  from  bad  to  worse.  Within  a  few 
years  past,  many  eminent  physicians  have  been 
urging  their  patients  to  go  to  the  West  Indies, 
and  many  have  pursued  the  advice  with  decided 
advantage  ;  but  the  unwillingness  of  Americans 
to  leave  their  own  country,  connected  with 
their  ignorance  of  the  West  India  climate,  have 
deterred  thousands  from  going  there  who  would 
otherwise  have  gone,  with  the  certainty  of  bene- 
fit, if  not  of  perfect  restoration  to  health. 

The  author  of  this  little  volume,  after  iiaving 
suffered  the  effects  of  northern  winters  for  seve- 


V1I1  PREFACE. 

ral  years,  and  having  tried  the  southern  States 
with  no  advantage,  was  induced,  by  the  strong 
recommendation  of  his  physician,  and  the  in- 
creased severity  of  his  disease,  in  the  early  part 
of  the  winter  of  1838-39,  to  visit  the  island  of 
St.  Croix,  which  was  supposed  to  be  the  best  of 
the  West  Indies  for  climate,  partly,  perhaps,  for 
want  of  sufficient  acquaintance  with  other 
places.  After  spending  several  weeks  at  St. 
Croix,  and  being  greatly  improved  in  health,  for 
the  purpose  of  being  able  to  judge  for  himself 
between  different  places  of  resort,  he  visited 
Trinidad  de  Cuba  ;  passed  from  thence,  through 
the  island  of  Cuba,  to  Havana  ;  from  thence 
to  Key  West,  the  only  tolerable  place  in  the 
United  States  ;  and  from  thence  to  St.  Augus- 
tine ;  stopping  long  enough  at  each  place  to 
form  an  accurate  conclusion,  and,  in  the  mean 
time,  collecting  all  the  information  he  could  as 
to  other  places.  The  information  thus  obtained 
is  so  useful  to  himself,  that  he  deems  it  his  duty 
to  publish  it  for  the  benefit  of  the  community ; 
and,  to  insure  the  attention  which  the  import- 
ance of  the  subject  demands,  it  has  been  thought 
better  to  make  a  small  volume  by  itself,  than  to 
put  it  in  any  public  journal,  which  would  be 
merely  read,  thrown  aside,  and  forgotten.  In 
order  to  enable  the  reader  to  judge  for  himself, 


PREFACE.  IX 

it  has  been  thought  proper  to  give  him  an  ac* 
count  of  the  author's  own  case,  and  some  others 
that  fell  under  his  immediate  observation ;  a 
detailed  description  of  the  situation,  climate, 
and  other  material  circumstances  of  St.  Croix; 
the  same  as  to  Trinidad  de  Cuba,  Havana,  Key 
West,  and  St.  Augustine ;  with  observations 
upon  other  places,  and  the  reasons  of  the 
healthiness  or  unhealthiness  of  each  particular 
place.  The  invalid,  knowing  his  own  symp- 
toms, will  then  be  able  to  decide  at  once  which 
is  the  best  place  for  himself,  and  act  accord- 
ingly. By  possessing  the  information  herein 
contained,  before  leaving  home,  the  author  could 
have  saved  himself  at  least  three  hundred  dol- 
lars in  expenses,  besides  adding  greatly  to  his 
comforts,  during  a  single  winter.  He  cannot 
doubt,  therefore,  that  the  work  will  prove  ac- 
ceptable to  the  public,  particularly  to  that  un- 
fortunate  class  for  \\hose  benefit  it  is  princi- 
pally  intended.  They  will  get  hero  the  dispas- 
sionate judgment  of  one  Mrho  had  no  interest  to 
lead  him  to  prefer  one  place  to  another,  and 
who  has  been  willing  to  give  as  well  the  unfa- 
vourable as  the  favourable  circumstances  of 
each  particular  place. 

The  following  chapters  contain  a  very  concise 
statement  of  the  results  of  my  observation,  and 


X  PREFACE. 

information,  during  my  tour ;  and,  so  far  as 
regards  the  principal  question  that  concerns  in- 
valids, desiring  to  visit  the  West  Indies,  or  either 
of  the  other  places  therein  mentioned, — to  wit, 
the  salubrity  of  different  climates,  and  accom- 
modations for  invalids, — may  be  relied  upon,  as 
in  all  respects  correct.  As  regards  the  matters 
of  general  information,  and  interest,  not  having 
the  time  nor  feeling  the  disposition  to  acquire 
very  precise  intelligence,  and  without  pretend, 
ing  to  look  into  books  for  aid,  I  have  merely  in- 
terspersed the  work  with  such  matters  as  fur- 
nished the  principal  topics  of  conversation,  at 
the  places  through  which  I  passed,  and,  there- 
fore, am  unable  to  vouch  for  their  accuracy  in 
every  particular  ;  but,  believing  that  they  would 
relieve  the  reader  from  the  monotonous  tone  of 
mere  descriptions  of  climates,  &c.  &c.,  I  have 
given  them  according  to  my  best  information; 
and  I  have  generally  distinguished  between  mat- 
ters within  my  own  knowledge,  and  those  de- 
rived from  others.  I  might  have  gone  into 
detail,  and  made  a  larger  volume ;  but,  as  my 
object  is  not  to  make  others  read,  but  to  convey 
useful  intelligence,  conciseness  has  been  my 
principal  aim ;  and,  it  is  humbly  hoped,  that  the 
reader  will  not  deem  the  brevity  of  the  work  a 
demerit.  I  might,  by  bestowing  a  little  more 


PREFACE.  XI 

attention  upon  the  subject,  have  swelled  the 
work,  by  giving  a  more  scientific  and  historical 
account  of  the  places  before-mentioned,  but  am 
very  far  from  aspiring  to  the  reputation  of  an 
erudite  author,  or  from  claiming  any  literary 
merit  for  this  production.  Knowing  that  thou- 
sands were  in  want  of  the  information  herein 
contained,  and  that,  from  peculiar  sensitiveness, 
and  attentive  observation,  I  have  been  enabled 
to  judge  of  all  the  places  in  question  with  great 
accuracy,  and  to  present  at  one  view  more  use- 
ful knowledge  upon  the  subject,  than  has  ever 
before  been  published,  I  have  been  induced  to 
write,  and  offer  to  the  public,  this  little  volume, 
hoping  that  it  may  be  instrumental  in  restoring 
to  health,  those  who  are  unfortunately  afflicted 
with  complaints  similar  to  my  own  ;  may,  in 
some  degree,  aid  physicians,  in  advising  their 
patients  what  place  to  prefer  for  their  particu- 
lar complaints ;  and,  on  the  whole,  may  prove 
interesting  and  acceptable  to  the  general  read- 
er. If  these  expectations  are  realized,  I  shall 
be  amply  satisfied  ;  if  not,  it  will  not  be  the  first 
well  intended  effort  that  has  failed  of  accom- 
plishing its  object. 


A  WINTER 


WEST  INDIES  AND  FLORIDA. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Of  Climate  in  General. 

NOTHING  is  more  talked  of  or  less  under- 
stood than  the  healthiness  of  climates.  When- 
ever it  becomes  difficult  to  remove  disease, 
and  the  friends  of  the  patient  become  alarmed, 
or  the  physician  gets  sick  of  experiments,  a 
change  of  climate  is  resorted  to,  as  a  kind 
of  patent  panacea  for  all  maladies  ;  by  means 
whereof  the  patient,  if  not  helped  in  any  other 
way,  is  at  least  helped  out  of  the  way  of  his 
friends  and  physician.  In  cities  they  are  sent 
to  the  country;  in  the  country,  to  the  city; 
inland,  they  are  sent  to  the  sea-shore  ;  on  the 
coast,  to  the  interior ;  from  the  mountains  to 
the  plains,  and  from  the  plains  to  the  moun- 
2 


14  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

tains ;  from  warm  weather  to  cold,  and  from 
cold  to  warm ;  from  dry  to  moist,  and  from 
moist  to  dry:  in  short,  any  thing  for  a  change, 
from  good  to  better,  or  from  bad  to  worse. 
There  is  nothing  more  difficult  to  define,  ac- 
cording to  the  common  use  of  the  term,  than 
a  good  climate.  It  means  a  place  where  the 
well  are  robust  and  hardy,  or  where  few  vio- 
lent diseases  are  known,  or  where  the  yellow 
fever  does  not  rage,  or  where  not  more  than 
half  the  people  have  the  fever  and  ague :  in 
fine,  almost  any  place  that  has  any  resources, 
and  where  lands  or  lots  will  sell  in  market. 
For  however  people  may  express  themselves 
as  to  the  salubrity  of  places  in  their  vicinity, 
they  never  acknowledge  their  own  place  to 
be  unhealthy  as  long  as  any  body  has  life 
enough  left  to  deny  it.  Let  any  one  deny 
this  who  has  travelled  through  our  western 
country  if  he  can.  Let  him  refresh  his  recol- 
lection as  to  the  number  of  places  that  have 
been  resolutely  pronounced  healthy  by  one 
half,  while  the  other  half  their  inhabitants 
were  sick. 

St.  Louis  has  been  declared  healthier  than 
Boston,  Cincinnati  than  Albany,  Utica  than 
New- York,  and,  to  cap  the  climax  of  false- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  15 

hood,  New  Orleans  has  been  claimed  to 
be  healthier  than  any  northern  city.  The 
inhabitants  of  Kentucky  and  Virginia  have 
removed  to  Upper  Missouri ;  those  of  New 
England  and  New- York  to  Ohio,  Illinois, 
Michilimackinac,  and  Green  Bay ;  those  of 
the  western  States  to  the  New  England  sea- 
board ;  and  those  of  the  northern  and  middle 
States  to  Alabama,  Mississippi,  Florida,  Louis- 
iana, and  Texas ;  and  all  on  account  of  their 
health.  This  has  arisen  in  part  from  the 
restlessness  of  those  afflicted  with  chronic 
complaints,  but  mostly  from  the  temporary 
benefit  experienced  by  almost  every  one  by 
the  mere  change  of  climate  and  scene,  through 
the  influence  of  the  nerves,  without  regard  to 
the  effects  of  a  continued  residence  in  the  par- 
ticular climate.  Because  the  immediate  ef- 
fect is  agreeable,  it  is  hastily  concluded  that 
the  newly  tried  climate  is  good,  and  every 
sacrifice  is  made  to  remove  to  it:  with  what 
results  let  the  thousand  disappointed  wander- 
ers after  health  answer.  Having  once  made 
the  experiment  without  success,  the  unfortu- 
nate patient  concludes  that  nothing  can  help 
him,  and,  without  further  expense  or  trouble, 
settles  down  into  a  calm  state  of  despondency, 


16  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

and  drags  out  the  residue  of  a  miserable  ex- 
istence. Instead  of  vainly  asking  opinions  as 
to  climate,  let  us,  in  the  first  place,  carefully 
consider  what  are  the  causes  of  a  fine  and  what 
of  a  bad  climate,  and  where  they  are  found ; 
and,  secondly,  what  cases  of  disease  are  most 
affected  by  climate. 

1.  The  causes  of  a  good  climate  are  few 
and  simple:  an  even  temperature,  warm  or 
cool  /  an  atmosphere  at  once  dry  and  pure. 
Those  of  a  bad  climate,  extreme  heat  or 
cold,  variableness,  humidity  and  impurity  of 
atmosphere.  In  proportion  as  the  former  or 
latter  preponderate,  the  climate  will  be  good 
or  bad  as  a  general  thing.  Now,  apply  this 
principle  to  our  own  country.  New  England 
has  dryness  of  atmosphere  in  general,  because 
the  soil  is  dry,  and  the  growth  of  vegetation 
not  rank.  To  the  sound  in  constitution,  there- 
fore, it  is  a  good  climate.  But  it  is  subject  not 
only  to  severe  cold  for  a  great  part  of  the 
time,  but  also  at  times  to  extreme  heat,  and, 
what  is  worse  than  either,  to  the  most  sudden 
transitions  from  one  to  the  other.  Therefore, 
though  a  great  proportion  of  the  healthy  may 
keep  so,  when  disease  has  once  got  foothold 
in  the  system,  it  is  almost  impossible  to  get 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  17 

rid  of  it.  The  cold  wind  of  an  hour  will  blow 
away  the  improvement  of  a  week :  and  even 
in  the  summer,  when  the  feeble  patient  will 
almost  suffocate  with  heat  in  the  middle  of  the 
day,  he  finds  perspiration  suddenly  checked 
at  night,  and  requires  three,  blankets  covering 
to  sleep  warm.  In  the  western  part  of  New- 
York,  Pennsylvania,  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana, 
and  Missouri,  the  same  evils  prevail ;  in  some 
places  perhaps  not  to  so  great  an  extent ;  but 
here  there  is  an  additional  evil  of  greater 
magnitude.  The  soil  is  rich  and  moist ;  the 
growth  of  vegetation  rank ;  and,  what  is  worse 
yet,  there  are  plenty  of  fresh  lakes,  ponds, 
swamps,  sluggish  rivers,  &c.  &c.  on  almost 
every  side ;  and  there  are  no  sea  breezes  to 
give  even  a  temporary  purity  to  the  atmos- 
phere. However  well  located  a  particular 
place  may  be,  therefore,  as  to  causes  in  its 
immediate  vicinity,  its  inhabitants  must 
breathe  the  great  moving  mass  of  air  that  has 
passed  over  hundreds  of  miles  of  land  imbued 
with  moisture  and  covered  with  decaying 
vegetable  matter,  from  which  a  most  noxious 
malaria  is  constantly  arising.  Because,  in 
particular  places  certain  malaria  has  pro- 
duced a  particular  disease  only  within  a  short 


18  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

distance  of  the  place  where  it  originated,  it 
has  been  inferred  that  effluvia  from  marshes, 
swamps,  moist  soil,  &c.,  could  not  affect  the 
salubrity  of  the  atmosphere,  except  in  its  im- 
mediate vicinity ;  and  the  idea  that  the  inju- 
rious effects  may  extend  hundreds  of  miles, 
has  been  treated  as  visionary  and  absurd,  but 
is  none  the  less  true.  If  a  damp  floor  will 
affect  a  whole  house,  will  not  a  soil  of  many 
feet  in  depth,  saturated  with  water,  and  ex- 
posed to  the  rays  of  the  sun,  extend  its  va- 
pours miles  in  height  ?  It  must  be  so ;  or 
clouds  and  rain  would  never  be.  If  an  un- 
wholesome vapour  is  constantly  arising  miles 
in  height  from  the  whole  surface  of  a  country 
hundreds  of  miles  in  extent,  will  it  not  move 
in  a  mass  in  the  shape  of  wind,  for  hundreds 
of  miles,  without  becoming  much  diluted  by 
the  mixture  of  other  air,  as  the  warm  water 
of  the  Gulf  Stream  makes  its  way  northward 
without  being  cooled  by  the  surrounding  wa- 
ters? And  if  this  effluvia  does  not  every 
where  produce  specific  diseases,  is  it  any  more 
strange  that  it  should  affect  the  general  health 
and  constitution  of  mankind,  than  that  the 
water  of  one  river  should  affect  the  quality  of 
the  fishes  that  live  in  it,  differently  from  that 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  19 

of  others?     Two  rivers  may  each  have  what 
is  called  pure  water,  and  still  the  shad  of  one 
be  superior  to  those  of  the  other.     If  fishes 
are  affected  by  the  water  they  breathe,  must 
not  we  be  equally  affected  by  our  element  of 
respiration, — and  is  not  the  general  liability 
to  diseases  in  proportion  to  the  humidity  and 
impurity  of  the  atmosphere  ?    To-be-sure,  the 
effects  are  not  immediately  felt  by  the  robust 
and  hardy,  except  in  particular  sections,  and 
the  country  is  therefore,  in  common  parlance, 
called  healthy;  but  as  often  as  the  system 
becomes  prostrated  by  some  sudden  attack  of 
disease,  the  slow  recovery  in  some,  and  the 
remaining  chronic   diseases  in  other  cases, 
plainly  demonstrate  the  badness  of  the  cli- 
mate.   In  New  England  a  person  has  a  fever, 
and  in  two  weeks  is  entirely  well  again.     In 
the  western  country  it   takes   six   or   eight 
weeks  to  get  up  at  all,  and  then,  in  more 
than  half  the  cases,  the  patient  is  not  entire- 
ly well  in  a  year,  and  in  many  cases  finds 
permanent  chronic  disease  remaining  after  all 
that  can  be  done.     It  is  therefore  madness 
to  keep  a  patient  here  at  least  during  the  fall, 
winter,  and   spring  months ;    and  even  the 
summer  is  bad  enough.     The  mountainous 


20  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

regions  of  the  southern  States  furnish  a  pretty 
good  summer  residence  for  invalids :  but  in 
the  winter,  the  whole  of  our  southern  States 
are  similar  to,  or  worse  than  November  and 
April  in  New-York,  subject  to  dampness, 
cold,  and  sudden  changes,  making,  on  the 
whole,  about  as  bad  a  place  as  could  be  ima- 
gined for  invalids.  The  cold  is  not  quite  as 
severe  ;  but  as  the  preparation  for  it  is  not  as 
good,  it  is  as  much  realized  as  at  the  north. 
When  it  is  considered  that  these  States  are 
situated  to  the  north  of  the  Tropic,  and  that 
consequently  the  wind  must  be  almost  con- 
stantly blowing  from  the  cold  regions  of  the 
north  during  winter,  sweeping  nearly  a  whole 
continent,  and  bearing  onward  its  accumu- 
lated vapours,  is  it  at  all  surprising  that  inva- 
lids should  fare  worse  here  than  almost  any 
where  else  ?  The  southern  people  are  open- 
ing their  eyes  upon  this  subject;  and  notwith- 
standing the  general  idea  at  the  north,  that 
there  is  no  consumption  at  the  south,  nume- 
rous patients  afflicted,  or  at  least  threatened 
with  that  complaint,  are  now  sent  from  thence 
to  the  West  Indies,  or  to  the  south  of  Europe, 
annually.  It  is  only  between  the  Tropics  that 
the  requisite  uniformity  of  temperature  can  be 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  21 

found.  The  West  India  Islands  are  the  most 
accessible  to  us  on  account  of  proximity,  and 
are,  in  many  other  respects,  the  best  resort  on 
earth  for  those  afflicted  with  chronic  diseases. 
They  have  the  pure  ocean  on  the  north  and 
east,  from  whence  the  wind  always  blows, 
and  it  is  only  necessary  to  avoid  immediate 
local  causes  of  disease  to  have  as  healthy  a 
climate  as  the  earth  can  afford.  Let  those 
who  are  enamoured  with  the  idea  of  southern 
Europe  read  the  journal  of  Lord  Byron,  or 
any  body  else  who  has  kept  one  there,  and 
they  will  be  satisfied.  They  will  soon  per- 
ceive that  rain,  mud,  hail,  sleet,  and  snow,  are 
not  so  pleasant  things  as  to  compensate  for 
going  three  thousand  miles,  especially  when 
we  have  enough  of  them  at  home  to  be  had 
gratis. 

Clark  on  Climates  and  Diseases  gives  a 
particular  description  of  all  the  places  of  re- 
sort in  southern  Europe,  and  shows  them  all 
far  inferior  to  Madeira  as  resorts  for  invalids  ; 
and  from  his  description  of  the  latter,  it  will 
be  seen  that  in  winter  cold  is  a  serious  evil 
there.  The  thermometer  falls  at  times  as  low 
as  fifty  degrees,  and  rainy  days  are  frequent. 
At  page  160-1,  he  cites  the  opinion  of  Dr.  Hei- 


22  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

neken,  who  resided  at  Madeira  on  account  of 
a  pulmonary  complaint,  that  the  summer  there 
is  far  more  favourable  than  the  winter,  and 
that  pulmonary  invalids  had  better  spend  the 
winter  in  the  West  Indies,  and  the  summer  in 
Madeira.  At  page  164,  (note,)  Dr.  Clark  says, 
that  he  intended  to  have  given  some  account 
of  the  climate  of  the  West  Indies,  believing  that 
they  would  atford  a  better  winter  resort  than 
any  he  had  described,  but  that  he  had  been 
unable  to  obtain  sufficient  information  to 
satisfy  himself  upon  the  subject. 

The  fear  of  yellow  fever  in  the  West  Indies, 
which  has  deterred  many  from  going  there,  is 
altogether  unfounded.  In  summer  or  winter, 
with  ordinary  care,  there  is  no  danger.  The 
cases  of  yellow  fever  generally  occur  on  board 
vessels,  and  about  particular  ports,  which  are 
known  from  local  causes  to  be  unhealthy,  sum- 
mer and  winter.  An  invalid  will  of  course 
keep  away  from  such  places,  and  be  safe.  If 
he  does  riot,  it  is  his  own  fault.  In  all  other 
places  there  are  no  fevers  without  great  expo- 
sure to  the  heat  of  the  sun,  and  the  cure  is 
easy  in  case  of  an  attack — much  easier  than 
similar  attacks  at  the  north.  After  reading 

O 

the  following  chapters,  the  reader  can  judge 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  23 

for  himself  as  to  the  correctness  of  these 
observations. 

2.  There  is  scarcely  any  disease  but  what 
is  more  or  less  affected  by  climate  ;  but  it  is 
only  chronic  affections  that  afford  an  oppor- 
tunity for  benefit  by  a  change.  In  fevers, 
acute  inflammations,  and  such  like  violent 
diseases,  of  course  the  patient  must  combat 
the  enemy  wherever  he  meets  with  the  at- 
tack, as  he  cannot  get  away ;  but  in  almost 
all  cases  of  sub-inflammation  of  the  lungs, 
bronchial  tubes,  stomach,  liver,  or  any  part  of 
the  mucus  membrane,  producing  catarrh,  asth- 
ma, stricture  of  the  chest,  coughs,  dyspepsia, 
&c.  <fec.,  and  particularly  in  all  cases  threat- 
ening consumption,  the  most  decided  advan- 
tage is  gained  by  a  good  climate,  where,  in- 
stead of  burning  with  heat  and  sweltering 

O 

with  perspiration  at  one  hour,  and  shivering 
with  cold  and  wrapped  in  an  overcoat  the 
next,  with  perspiration  entirely  obstructed, 
the  patient  can  at  all  times  freely  expose  him- 
self to  the  air  without  the  burthen  of  heavy 
clothing,  and  can  keep  up  a  uniform  action 
upon  the  surface,  thereby  promoting  a  healthy 
action  of  the  mucus  membrane  and  all  the 
secretory  organs  of  the  system.  To  almost 


24  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

every  such  patient,  the  relief  afforded  in  a 
single  week  is  enough  to  compensate  for  a 
voyage  to  the  West  Indies  and  back  again. 
In  cases  of  confirmed  tubercular  consumption, 
however,  it  is  worse  than  useless  to  send  the 
patient  to  a  strange  land  for  the  sake  of  a 
climate  which  can  do  him  no  good. 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  25 


CHAPTER   II. 

My  Own  Case. 

IN  January,  1831,  at  the  age  of  23,  I  was  at- 
tacked with  an  inflammation  upon  the  lungs, 
so  violently  as  to  require  copious  bleeding, 
&c.,  <fcc.  After  the  disease  had  subsided,  to 
the  great  surprise  of  my  physician  as  well  as 
myself,  the  first  particle  of  food  on  the  return 
of  appetite  produced  extreme  distress  at  the 
stomach,  flatulency,  violent  eructations,  and 
other  distressing  symptoms  of  dyspepsia. 
The  whole  nervous  system  became  irritated 
in  the  highest  degree,  and  after  having  been 
confined  in  my  room  till  May,  as  the  warm 
weather  came  on,  I  was  able  to  get  to  Sara- 
toga Springs,  where  the  waters  were  tried 
with  trifling  advantage  ;  and  from  thence  to 
the  sea-shore,  where  greater  benefit  was  per- 
ceived, insomuch,  that  travelling,  instead  of 
fatiguing  too  much,  began  to  afford  relief. 

In  the  fall,  the  advance  of  cold  weather 
seemed  to  obstruct  all  the  functions  of  the 
system,  and  apprehensive  for  the  result,  and 
3 


26  A   WINTER    IN    THE 

anxious  to  do  something,  it  was  resolved  to 
try  the  relaxing  effect  of  a  southern  climate. 
The  worst  symptoms  somewhat  abated  on 
going  south,  but  others  appearing  at  New- 
Orleans,  resulting  from  the  climate,  a  Missis- 
sippi steamboat  was  a  natural  resort ;  and 
before  the  first  of  December  I  was  at  St. 
Louis.  To  my  great  disappointment,  that 
place  was  found  to  be  about  as  cold,  and,  if 
possible,  more  damp  and  chilly  than  west- 
ern New- York.  Despairing  of  any  relief 
from  climate,  I  returned  home  by  way  of 
Ohio,  and  arrived  there  in  the  severest  winter 
weather,  somewhat  improved  by  all  these 
journeys,  voyages,  and  changes  of  climate 
together.  Severe  dyspepsia,  however,  re- 
mained, and  no  hope  of  recovery  was  per- 
ceived unless  time  should  afford  relief. 

In  the  fall  of  1834,  severe  symptoms  of 
catarrh  appeared,  and,  for  the  first  time,  the 
lungs  began  to  show  symptoms  of  revolt. 
Severe  attacks  of  stricture  across  the  chest, 
with  a  violent  cough,  occurred  occasionally 
at  intervals  of  two  or  three  weeks. 

In  November,  1836,  in  the  hope  of  obtain- 
ing benefit  from  a  residence  on  the  sea-shore, 
I  removed  to  the  city  of  New- York.  But 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  27 

before  the  winter  had  fairly  commenced,  the 
strong,  bracing,  cold  sea  air,  together  with 
the  gas  from  coal  fires,  gave  me  a  severe 
attack  of  bronchitis,  which  rendered  respira- 
tion distressing  beyond  description.  Think- 
ing the  sea  air  and  coal  fires  the  immediate 
causes  of  difficulty,  I  returned  to  the  coun- 
try, where,  instead  of  being  relieved,  every 
symptom  was  aggravated  to  such  a  degree  as 
to  render  it  impossible  to  go  south,  which 
now  plainly  appeared  to  be  the  only  availa- 
ble remedy. 

On  returning  to  the  city  in  the  spring, 
however,  the  air  from  the  ocean  appeared 
very  favourable ;  and  during  the  summer,  the 
improvement  was  so  great  that  I  was  enabled 
to  endure  the  mild  winter  of  1837-8  in  New- 
York  with  but  slight  difficulty; 

During  the  hot  summer  of  1 838,  the  worst 
symptoms  of  catarrh,  asthma,  and  dyspepsia 
made  a  combined  attack  upon  the  system. 
The  nerves  became  very  irritable ;  pains  be- 
came severe  and  constant ;  and  every  thing 
seemed  to  indicate  a  fatal  termination  of  my 
miseries.  The  first  cool  wind  in  September 
brought  back  the  stricture  across  the  chest 
with  a  severity  before  unknown.  Instead  of 


28  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

coming  occasionally,  and  only  at  night,  it 
now  became  constant  day  and  night.  Down 
to  the  first  of  December  I  had  three  attacks, 
each  lasting  about  a  week ;  during  xvhich 
there  was  scarcely  a  moment's  cessation  of 
the  severest  distress,  or  an  hour  that  would 
admit  of  a  reclining  posture.  The  cough 
was  terrible,  the  expectoration  copious,  and 
there  was  no  reasonable  ground  to  believe 
that  I  could  survive  the  winter.  At  the 
earnest  solicitation  of  my  physician,  as  a  last 
experiment  it  was  resolved  to  visit  St.  Croix, 
which  was  then  much  resorted  to  by  inva- 
lids from  New- York,  and  was  considered  the 
best  place  for  them  in  the  West  Indies,  or 
indeed  anywhere  else.  The  expense,  to  be 
sure,  was  double  what  it  would  have  been  to 
Key  West ;  but  it  was  now  too  strong  a  case 
to  think  of  that.  Accordingly,  with  hasty 
preparation  and  drooping  spirits,  I  bid  adieu 
to  New- York,  and  embarked  upon  a  winter's 
ocean,  with  every  thing  to  apprehend  and 
but  little  reasonably  to  hope.  At  least,  such 
was  my  own  impressions.  The  sequel  will 
show  how  agreeably  I  was  disappointed. 


WEST    INDIES    AND   FLORIDA.  29 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Voyage. 

MANY  are  deterred  from  going  to  any  place 
beyond  seas  by  fear  of  sea-sickness  ;  and 
hence  seek  out  the  best  place  they  can  find 
in  their  own  country  as  a  resort  during  win- 
ter. Hundreds,  no  doubt,  visit  our  southern 
States  every  winterr  who  are  fully  aware  of 
the  superiority  of  the  West  India  climate, 
because  they  have  not  the  moral  courage  to 
endure  a  few  days  at  sea,  when  all  who  have 
tried  it  acknowledge  the  benefits  after  it  is 
over,  whatever  may  be  their  opinion  while 
the  distress  remains.  I  have  been  to  sea  sev- 
eral times  ;  with  one  exception,  have  always 
been  sick  as  long  as  the  sea  has  been  rough  ; 
and  although  while  at  sea  I  have  always  de- 
termined never  to  go  again,  have  uniformly 
thought  the  reverse  as  soon  as  it  was  over. 
And  why  ?  Because  conscious  of  the  great 
benefit  to  health  derived  from  it. 

On  the  fourth  of  December,  in  the  severest 
of  winter  weather,  with  a  constitution  sulfer- 
3* 


30  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

ing  under  the  combined  influence  of  catarrh, 
asthma  and  dyspepsia,  all  aggravated  by  the 
severities  of  a  northern  winter,  with  great 
pain  of  body  and  depression  of  spirits  border- 
ing on  despair,  I  abandoned  my  foothold  on 
terra  Jirma,  and  committed  myself  to  the 
mercy  of  the  winds  and  the  waves.  My 
own  case  was  bad  enough  ;  but  a  worse  one 
was  before  my  eyes,  and  it  did  not  become 
me  to  complain.  A  fellow-passenger,  a  man 
in  the  prime  of  life,  and  but  six  weeks  be- 
fore perfectly  healthy,  was  brought  on  board, 
being  unable  to  walk ;  and  accompanied  by 
his  mother,  took  his  leave  of  his  brothers, 
while  the  tears  of  all  falling  thick  and  fast, 
plainly  indicated  their  belief  that  it  was  a 
final  separation.  He  had  an  attack  of  he- 
morrhage at  the  lungs,  and  was  then  under 
the  full  influence  of  a  hectic  fever,  and  pro- 
bably could  not  have  survived  two  weeks 
at  New- York. 

After  four  days  of  fair  wind,  but  rough  sea, 
during  which  I  was  unable  to  leave  my 
berth,  I  crawled,  for  I  was  unable  to  walk, 
to  the.  deck,  and  stretched  myself  at  full 
length  in  a  sun-shine  as  cheering  as  the 
smiles  of  friendship.  We  had  now  passed 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  31 

the  Gulf  Stream,  and  saw  no  more  of  cold 
weather.  My  improvement,  in  spite  of  con- 
tinued sea-sickness,  was  truly  surprising  — 
far  beyond  my  most  ardent  anticipations. 
The  pains  about  the  spine  and  chest,  the 
stricture  of  the  lungs,  catarrhal  and  asth- 
matic symptoms,  all  subsided  ;  and  long  be- 
fore eating  anything  I  could  walk  the  deck 
without  pain,  and  respire  the  pure  air  with 
perfect  ease.  The  winds  became  light,  as 
well  as  adverse,  and  kept  us  fourteen  days 
in  making  from  lat.  28°  to  23°,  about  three 
hundred  miles.  During  this  time  sea-sickness 
subsided,  appetite  returned,  and  well  did  I  im- 
prove it,  insomuch  that  it  was  difficult  to  make 
passengers  believe  the  story  of  my  sufferings 
at  home.  My  fellow-invalid  also  improved 
enough  to  enable  him  to  walk  the  deck,  though 
his  symptoms  remained  bad.  We  filially  got 
a  strong  trade -wind  from  the  south-east, 
which  brought  us  up  before  St.  Thomas  on 
Christmas  morning.  A  merry  Christmas  in- 
deed, to  find  ourselves  alongside  the  pictu- 
resque landscape  of  St.  Thomas,  after  a  dreary 
voyage  of  three  weeks,  with  the  monotonous 
roar  of  the  ocean  for  our  only  music. 

The  city  of  St.  Thomas  is  situated  on  the 


32  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

south  side  of  the  island  of  that  name,  18°  20' 
north  latitude,  at  the  head  of  a  fine  harbour, 
running  up  about  three  miles  from  the  ocean, 
to  the  foot  of  a  ridge  of  round-topped  hills, 
shooting  up  as  regularly  as  though  they  had 
been  forced  up  by  some  volcanic  eruption.  A 
smaller  range  of  hills  bounds  the  harbour  on 
either  side,  making  the  distance  to  the  town, 
when  viewed  from  a  vessel  lying  at  its  mouth, 
appear  less  than  half  a  mile.  The  buildings, 
painted  with  various  colours,  rising  gradually 
one  above  another  upon  three  separate  eleva- 
tions, with  the  deep  green  leaves  of  cocoa-nut 
and  palm  trees  interspersed  among  them,  to- 
gether with  the  majestic  elevation  in  the  rear, 
presented  a  landscape  picturesque  and  beauti- 
ful beyond  description.  My  impressions  of 
the  place  were  of  course  decidedly  favourable, 
and  would  have  remained  so  had  I  not  gone 
on  shore  and  seen  the  town  as  it  really  is. 
The  streets  are  narrow ;  the  free  circulation 
of  air  is  obstructed  on  either  side ;  and  the 
sun  beats  down  with  overpowering  heat,  ren- 
dering it  an  unhealthy  as  well  as  unpleasant 
place.  The  first  information  we  got  about  the 
place,  was  that  many  of  the  inhabitants  were 
down  with  fevers,  and  that  there  were  three 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  33 

cases  in  the  family  of  one  of  our  fellow-passen- 
gers from  New- York.  This  was  of  course  satis- 
factory evidence  that  St.  Thomas  was  no  place 
for  invalids ;  and  the  fact  that  old  inhabitants 
afterwards  visited  St.  Croix  for  their  health,  and 
that  sea-captains  generally  complained  that 
their  men  always  got  sick  there,  confirmed  me 
in  the  opinion.  At  night  we  made  sail  for  St. 
Croix,  about  forty  miles  to  the  south-east,  and 
the  next  morning,  December  26th,  found  our- 
selves in  the  harbour  of  Bassin,  or  Christian- 
stadt. 

A  word  of  advice  to  invalids  about  passages 
shall  conclude  this  chapter.  I  have  observed 
that  whenever  most  passengers  go,  the  price  is 
highest,  because  it  becomes  an  object  for  the 
proprietors  of  vessels  to  combine  to  keep  it  up. 
As  for  a  few  years  past  many  have  gone  to  St. 
Croix,  I  found  that  packet  ships  asked  one 
hundred  dollars,  and  brigs,  &c.  seventy-five  to 
eighty,  for  a  passage  of  only  fifteen  hundred 
miles,  which  is  usually  performed  in  twelve  or 
fifteen,  and  sometimes  in  eight  or  ten  days ; 
whereas  very  good  transient  vessels  were  glad 
to  take  forty  or  fifty  dollars  to  any  of  the  West 
India  islands.  Many  passengers  suppose  that 
they  will  be  much  more  comfortable  if  they  go 


34  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

in  the  vessel  that  charges  highest.  This  is  a 
mistake.  Those  vessels  are  generally  filled  to 
overflowing,  which  renders  them  extremely 
uncomfortable  in  case  of  bad  weather;  and 
besides,  when  there  are  so  many,  it  becomes 
almost  impossible  to  get  the  requisite  attention 
from  stewards,  &c.  &c.  Secure  a  passage  in 
a  good,  strong,  fast-sailing  vessel,  where  there 
are  few  passengers ;  and,  above  all,  keep  clear 
of  a  lower  •cabin  when  there  is  an  upper  one, 
and  the  sufferings  of  a  voyage  will  be  greatly 
diminished.  There  is  a  bad  air  in  lower 
cabins,  especially  in  sugar  vessels,  that  renders 
them  almost  intolerable.  I  preferred  sleeping 
on  the  floor,  for  want  of  a  better  place  above, 
the  three  last  nights  of  the  voyage.  These 
may  seem  trifles  to  some,  but  not  to  those  who 
have  been  or  expect  to  go  to  sea.  If  any 
should  doubt  the  correctness  of  these  remarks, 
let  them  try  it,  as  I  have,  and  they  will  then 
be  satisfied. 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  35 


CHAPTER  IV, 

Bassin,  or  Christianstadt. 

THE  view  of  the  town  from  the  harbour  is 
picturesque,  but  not  as  beautiful  as  that  of  St. 
Thomas.  It  is  situated  near  the  north  end  of 
the  island,  at  the  foot  of  a  range  of  hills  seve- 
ral hundred  feet  high,  which  extends  along 
the  whole  north-westerly  shore.  A  consider- 
able elevation  projects  out  from  the  main 
range,  forming  the  easterly  boundary  of  the 
harbour ;  but  on  the  southerly  side,  the  eleva- 
tion is  gradual,  aifording  a  fine  view  of  several 
sugar  plantations.  The  rich  cane-fields  on 
the  right,  the  deep  foliage  of  the  cocoa-nut 
and  palm  trees  in  the  distance,  the  windmills 
of  the  sugar-houses  crowning  the  summits  of 
several  beautiful  hills,  with  the  town  in  front, 
and  the  lofty  mountains  in  the  rear,  rising 
with  all  the  stem  and  rugged  majesty  of  Na- 
ture's wildness,  altogether  presented  a  scene 
variegated  and  delightful  in  the  extreme  to 
one  who  had  but  just  escaped  from  the  ice- 
bound regions  of  the  north.  Highly  delight- 


36  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

ed  as  I  was,  there  was  one  thing  which  struck 
me  unfavourably  before  going  on  shore,  to 
wit  :  the  great  humidity  of  the  atmosphere. 
Every  thing  appeared  dripping  with  moisture, 
and  the  physician  from  the  town  soon  in- 
formed us,  that  it  was  what  they  call  the  sick- 
ly season,  but  that  it  was  about  over;  that 
some  were  now  sick  with  fevers,  and  others 
with  fever  and  ague.  This  was  rather  un- 
pleasant news  to  one  who  shuddered  at  the 
idea  of  a  damp  climate.  I  had  seen  several 
persons  well  acquainted  with  the  island,  and 
had  read  some  published  descriptions  of  it,  but 
never  heard  of  this  humidity  of  atmosphere, 
or  one  word  about  fever  and  ague  abounding 
there.  However,  we  all  went  ashore,  re- 
solved to  make  the  best  of  it.  The  signs  of 
moisture  now  became  more  and  more  appar- 
ent, two  or  three  showers  happened  while  we 
were  getting  on  shore,  with  bright  sun-shine 
intervening  between  each;  The  moisture  of 
the  ground,  the  mouldering  appearance  of  the 
brick  and  stone  walls,  and  the  decaying  state 
of  the  wooden  buildings,  all  eloquently  be- 
spoke the  dampness  of  the  climate.  I  could 
think  of  nothing  but  the  idea  of  visiting  a  city 
a  week  after  the  flood.  However  moist,  the 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  37 

atmosphere  was  warm,  bland,  and  of  even  tem- 
perature, inducing  a  very  comfortable  and  se- 
dentary feeling.  Sea-sickness  for  the  last 
three  days  of  the  voyage  had  caused  a  tempo- 
rary suspension  of  appetite,  which  returned 
with  double  force,  and  the  first  meal  showed 
conclusively  that  the  climate  was  favourable 
to  digestion  ;  and  for  several  days,  fearless  of 
dyspepsia,  and  all  its  consequences,  I  ate  more 
at  a  meal  than  I  could  have  with  safety 
eaten  in  a  whole  week  at  New-York.  There 
was  not  a  sign  of  cough,  asthma,  or  catarrh, 
and  scarcely  any  of  dyspepsia,  remaining.  So 
rapid  was  the  improvement,  almost  all  my 
clothing  soon  became  too  small,  and  after  a 
few  days,  every  body  would  smile,  when  any- 
thing was  said  about  my  being  an  invalid. 
During  the  summer  of  1838,  which  was  cer- 
tainly hot  enough,  I  had  not  a  moment  of  such 
health  as  I  now  enjoyed.  So  great  was  the 
contrast  between  present  comfort  and  past 
misery,  that  I  walked  forth  in  perfect  ecstacy, 
as  though  I  had  suddenly  passed  "from  death 
unto  life"  But  what  of  the  place ?  It  con- 
tains about  three  thousand  inhabitants,  less 
than  three  hundred  of  whom  are  whites,  the 
residue  of  every  shade  from  jet  black  to  light 
4 


38  A    WINTER    IN   THE 

yellow,  perhaps  one  quarter  of  them  slaves, 
the  rest  free,  and  without  any  apparent  differ- 
ence in  manners,  customs,  dress,  circum- 
stances, or  feelings,  between  them.  Of  course, 
it  is  seldom  that  a  white  man,  and  much  more 
seldom  that  a  white  lady,  is  met  in  the  street. 
The  houses  are  built  with  basements  for 
store-rooms,  <fcc.,  &c.,  level  with  the  street, 
and  one  story  above  to  reside  in,  with  a  gal- 
lery, as  it  is  here  called,  or  kind  of  piazza,  the 
whole  length  in  front.  There  are  no  side- 
walks to  the  streets,  and  no  pavements,  the 
soil  making  a  hard,  clean  surface  in  spite  of 
rain. 

To  one  accustomed  to  view  the  throng  of 
exquisitely  dressed  ladies  and  gentlemen, 
constantly  rushing  along  the  sidewalks  of 
Broadway,  and  hear  the  deafening  rattle  of 
carriages  and  carts,  to  find  himself  all  at  once 
in  a  city  where  he  sees  only  a  crowd  of  bare- 
foot, half  naked  negroes,  straying  carelessly 
along  the  middle  of  the  street,  like  so  many 
cattle,  without  a  cart  or  carriage  in  motion, 
or  a  sound  heard  except  the  gabble  of  the 
negroes, — the  contrast  is  at  once  striking, 
novel,  and  amusing.  In  general,  all  move, 
and  speak  too,  as  deliberately  as  if  Time  had 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  39 

folded  up  his  wings.  But  there  is  now  and 
then  an  exception.  For  instance :  occasion- 
ally, a  strapping  bare-foot  negro  would  run 
through  the  street  at  the  rate  of  seven  knots, 
with  a  hucket  of  water  or  a  bundle  of  wood 
on  his  head,  balanced  as  well  as  though  he 
were  standing  perfectly  still. 

During  the  ten  days  I  remained  there,  it 
rained,  on  an  average,  four  or  five  times  a 
day.  The  showers  were  short,  and  as  a 
scorching  sun  generally  intervened,  it  was 
never  safe  to  go  out  for  a  moment  without  an 
umbrella.  It  was  generally  considered,  and  I 
have  no  doubt  correctly  too,  that  exposure 
either  to  the  sun  or  rain  was  dangerous  even 
to  the  inhabitants,  and  productive  of  certain 
injury  to  strangers  or  invalids.  The  night  air 
was  also  damp  and  injurious  ;  and  a  current 
of  air  at  any  time  was  studiously  avoided  by 
everybody.  The  ladies  of  the  place  had 
generally  a  pale,  aguish  countenance,  and  the 
children  were  extremely  subject  to  croup, 
&c.,  &c. :  a  sure  indication  of  the  humidity 
of  the  atmosphere.  The  heat  in  the  day- 
time was  generally  oppressive,  the  thermome- 
ter ranging  from  82°  to  86°  in  the  shade  ;  and 
as  it  was  unsafe  to  go  out  in  the  eveningt 


40  A   WINTER    IN    THE 

there  was  but  a  little  time  for  exercise,  to  wit, 
about  two  hours  in  the  morning,  and  two 
more  towards  evening. 

This  was  generally  improved  in  riding : 
the  roads  here  being  the  finest  in  the  world. 
No  such  thing  as  mud  or  dust  is  ever  known  ; 
and  the  rolling  of  the  carriage-wheels  upon 
the  hard  smooth  surface,  makes  music  for  the 
ear,  and  gives  a  pleasure  to  riding  unknown 
anywhere  else.  Every  invalid  of  course 
avails  himself  of  such  a  fine,  healthful  recrea- 
tion; as  a  horse  and  gig  may  be  hired  for 
thirty  dollars  per  month,  kept,  harnessed,  and 
brought  to  the  door  whenever  wanted,  and  a 
saddle-horse  for  half  that  sum. 

The  scenery  along  the  way  is  delightful 
beyond  description.  At  one  moment  you 
wind  around  between  two  ranges  of  lofty 
hills,  and  the  next,  rich  level  fields  of  cane 
break  upon  your  view,  with  the  white  walls 
of  a  sugar-works  and  mansion-house  upon 
the  summit  of  a  hill  in  the  distance,  and  a 
wind-mill  above  the  whole,  swinging  its  long 
arms  like  a  mighty  giant,  inviting  some  val- 
orous Don  Quixote  to  mortal  combat.  On 
the  way-side  are  clusters  of  lime  trees,  with  ripe 
yellow  fruit,  contrasting  finely  with  the  deep 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  41 

green  foliage ;  and  the  whole  is  adorned  by 
rows  of  palm  trees,  or  mountain  cabbage,  as 
they  are  here  called,  on  each  side,  standing 
as  straight  and  true  as  so  many  architectural 
columns  of  the  most  skilful  workmanship 
and  finest  proportions.  The  rides  about  this 
place  are  considered  by  many  more  romantic 
and  variegated  than  those  about  West  End, 
or  any  other  part  of  the  island. 

It  will  be  perceived,  that  however  benefi- 
cial the  climate  may  prove,  with  proper  care 
on  the  part  of  invalids,  still,  without  the 
greatest  caution,  there  is  constant  danger  in 
so  many  particulars,  that  the  requisite  care  is 
burdensome  and  •  sometimes  tedious.  The 
heat  is  much  of  the  time  oppressive,  and  al- 
ways relaxing,  and  but  little  exercise  can  be 
endured  without  great  fatigue.  Notwith- 
standing all  these  inconveniences,  however, 
during  the  ten  days  passed  here,  I  continued 
rapidly  to  improve ;  and,  therefore,  speaking 
in  general  terms,  ought  to  say  that  it  was  a 
good  climate  for  me  at  least.  It  was  so, 
compared  with  any  I  had'  ever  before  known. 
The  bad,  however,  must  be  stated  as  well  as 
the  good,  so  that  invalid^  may  judge  for  them- 
selves. 

4" 


42  A   WHNTTER    IN   THE 

There  were  only  six  or  eight  invalids  at 
this  place,  including  my  fellow-passengers 
—  most  of  the  Americans,  on  the  whole, 
preferring  West  End,  a  village  about  fifteen 
miles  distant.  This  is  the  capital  of  the 
island  ;  the  government-house  and  public 
offices  are  of  course  here.  There  is  nothing 
splendid  in  any  of  the  public  edifices,  and 
contrary  to  my  expectations,  the  gardens  were 
indifferent,  and  almost  destitute  of  fruit. 
Scarcely  a  hundred  oranges  could  be  found 
upon  the  trees  in  all  the  city  and  suburbs. 
There  are  several  churches  —  a  Lutheran, 
Catholic,  and  Episcopalian.  The  Lutheran 
is  the  national  religion  of  the  Danes  ;  but  a 
mild  system  of  toleration  is  adopted  as  to 
other  sects. 

The  English  language  is  spoken  here  by 
all  the  inhabitants,  except  some  of  the  Danish 
soldiers.  There  are  almost  as  many  English 
and  American  inhabitants  as  Danes,  and  the 
latter  are  generally  more  civil  and  polite  to 
visiters  than  the  former.  On  the  birth-day 
of  his  Danish  majesty,  a  ball  is  always  given 
at  the  government-house,  to  which  the 
American  visiters  are  invited,  and  every 
disposition  appears  to  be  manifested  to  make 


WEST    INDIES    AND   FLORIDA.  43 

the  place  a  pleasant  resort  for  invalids. 
There  are  two  boarding-houses  here,  but 
they  are  not  well  supported,  on  account  of 
the  general  preference  for  West  End.  The 
inhabitants  of  the  place  are  very  much  sur- 
prised at  this  strange  perversion  of  taste  in 
the  Americans,  in  preferring  a  place,,  accord- 
ing to  their  accounts,  the  very  worst  on 
earth.  They  are  almost  indignant  at  any 
one  who  attempts  to  speak  favourably  of  West 
End,  and  use  every  effort  to  prevent  others 
going  there,  telling  strangers  on  their  arrival 
that  the  other  place  is  without  accommoda- 
tions, &c.  I  was  told  on  my  arrival, 
that  it  was  impossible  to  get  lodgings  at 
West  End,  but,  to  my  surprise,  found  plenty 
of  room  there  after  twenty  more  passengers 
had  arrived.  If  invalids  wish  to  avoid  dif- 
ficulty, they  had  better  form  their  own  opin- 
ions upon  several  little  local  matters,  but  not 
by  any  means  express  them,  asr  in  a  small 
community,  every  thing  affecting  the  inter- 
ests of  the  inhabitants  is  told  from  one  end 
of  the  island  to  the  other  in  an  incredibly 
short  time. 

One  accustomed  to  the  style  of  furnishing 
in  the  boarding-houses  of  our  cities,  may  at 


44  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

first  be  somewhat  surprised  at  the  appear- 
ance of  a  boarding-house  in  St.  Croix.  A 
house  white- washed  outside,  with  a  single 
covering  of  boards,  washed  or  painted  with- 
in, without  ceiling  overhead,  except  the  roof, 
with  old  shutters,  and  no  blinds  or  glass  to 
the  windows,  with  decaying  boards  for  floors, 
without  carpets  or  other  covering,  and  furni- 
ture of  the  simplest  and  cheapest  kind, — a  ta- 
ble, some  chairs,  and  a  calico-covered  sofa,  in 
the  dining  room, — a  bed,  chair,  and  wash- 
stand,  in  sleeping  rooms, — might  not  at 
first  seem  exactly  what  he  would  wish,  and 
lead  him  to  suspect  that  he  had  not  found  the 
best  place.  But  after  becoming  better  ac- 
quainted, and  finding  all  other  places  about 
the  same,  he  will  soon  become  perfectly  satis- 
fied, and  in  a  short  time  feel  disposed  to 
laugh  at  the  extravagant  superfluity  of  fine 
furniture  at  the  north.  At  New- York  I  had 
boarded  for  five  dollars  per  week,  at  a  house 
rented  at  twelve  hundred  dollars  a  year,  and 
furnished  at  an  expense  of  several  thousands  ; 
here  I  paid  ten  dollars  per  week  at  a  house 
which  could  be  bought,  lot  and  all,  for  twelve 
hundred  dollars,  and  containing  altogether 

'  O  o 

scarcely  three  hundred  dollars'  worth  of  fur- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  45 

niture.  The  reason  of  the  high  price  of 
board  is  not  the  expense  of  provisions,  for 
they  are  generally  low,  nor  of  servants,  for 
slaves  are  bought  at  from  one  to  three  hun- 
dred dollars,  and  hired  for  from  two  to  four 
dollars  per  month ;  but  because  there  are  no 
boarders  to  be  had  for  one  half  of  the  year, 
and  the  loss  must  be  made  up  on  the  other. 
A  family  wishing  to  spend  the  winter  here, 
and  live  economically,  would  do  well  to  bring 
out  such  articles  of  furniture  as  they  might 
want,  take  apartments,  and  keep  house  for 
themselves.  They  can  then  live  exactly  to 
suit  them,  which  will  not  always  be  the  case 
at  a  boarding-house.  Five  to  ten  dollars  per 
month  will  hire  a  comfortable  house,  and  there 
are  plenty  to  be  had.  A  good  living  may  be 
procured  at  small  expense.  The  meats  of  the 
island  are  pretty  good,  and  the  fish  are  fine 
beyond  comparison,  and  almost  beyond  de- 
scription. Plantains  and  bananas  are  at  once 
healthy  and  palatable,  and  the  sweet  potato  is 
far  better  than  any  we  ever  get  at  the  north. 
The  oranges  of  St.  Croix,  though  not  abun- 
dant, are  unsurpassed  in  excellence.  The 
above  mentioned  articles,  with  plenty  of  good 
bread,  which  can  always  be  had,  constitute 


46  A  WINTER  IN  THE 

not  only  a  wholesome  but  luxurious  diet.  Let 
no  one  be  deterred  from  eating  freely  of  these, 
because  the  same  or  similar  things  have  pro- 
duced injurious  effects  at  the  north.  The  ef- 
fect is  quite  different  when  eaten  here.  At 
New- York  I  could  only  eat  hard  bread,  and  a 
little  roast  or  broiled  meat,  without  vegetables 
or  fruit,  and  of  those  but  a  small  quantity, 
without  severe  indigestion  and  asthma.  Here 
I  could  eat  to  the  extent  of  my  appetite  of 
meats,  vegetables,  and  fruit,  with  perfect  impu- 
nity. There  are  many  other  things  which 
may  be  acceptable  to  others,  though  not  to 
me.  The  yam  and  casaba  root  are  used  as  a 
substitute  for  the  common  potato,  but  I  like 
the  plantain  better;  the  forbidden  fruit  and 
shattuck  for  oranges:  they  resemble  the  orange 
in  colour,  are  much  larger,  but  are  bitter  to 
the  taste,  and  to  me  unpalatable.  The  messi- 
ple,  or  apple  of  Venus,  is  liked  by  many ;  the 
mango,  by  some ;  and  the  belle  apple,  when 
just  ripe  enough,  by  almost  every  body. 
Muskmelons  are  plenty,  and  rather  better 
than  at  the  north,  but  are  not  a  healthy  fruit 
anywhere. 

These  are  a  few  of  the  novelties,  at  least  in 
winter,  which  the  northern  invalid  has  gained 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  47 

by  the  exchange  of  climate.  The  living,  how- 
ever, at  boarding-houses,  does  not  generally 
suit  Americans.  Danish  flour,  a  little  musty, 
is  sometimes  preferred  to  American,  because, 
forsooth,  there  is  twelve  and  a  half  per  cent, 
difference  in  the  price,  i.  e.  the  amount  of  du- 
ties. Danish  butter  and  lard  are  perseverirfgly 
pronounced  better  than  American  for  the  same 
reason ;  and  because  we  ignorant  Yankees  dif- 
fer with  them  in  taste,  and  will  not  eat  butter 
resembling  goose-oil  and  molasses,  when  set 
upon  the  table,  we  are  finely  punished  by 
having  it  plentifully  poured  into  all  gravies, 
worked  into  all  sorts  of  cake  and  almost  every 
thing  else.  No  allusion  is  had  to  any  particu- 
lar house,  my  intention  being  merely  to  men- 
tion an  evil  which  is  quite  common.  There 
are  some  exceptions.  Much  of  the  cake  baked 
at  St.  Croix,  and  which  looks  very  finely  too, 
is  a  compound  of  old  flour,  bad  lard,  and  worse 
butter,  well  sweetened,  stuck  together,  and  half 
baked.  Fresh  butter  is  made  upon  the  island, 
which  many  like  because  of  its  scarcity ;  but 
almost  every  one  abandons  the  use  of  butter 
altogether  after  a  few  days  ;  and  if  they  could 
keep  it  out  of  the  cake  and  gravies,  would  be 
satisfied  withal.  American  butter  might  be 


48  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

brought  here  very  sweet,  but  there  is  no  mar- 
ket for  it,  and  therefore  it  does  not  come. 
This  particular  detail  of  living  is  given  to  en- 
able invalids  to  judge  for  themselves  whether 
to  come  prepared  to  keep  house  or  rely  upon 
boarding-houses. 

On  this  subject  my  remarks  are  founded 
upon  observations  at  West  End,  as  well  as  at 
Bassin,  and  met  the  concurrence  of  many 
boarders  at  both  places.  With  these  evils 
enough  of  good  was  mixed,  however,  to  en- 
sure a  pretty  good  living  at  any  of  the  board- 
ing-houses, i.  e.  after  a  little  experience  in  se- 
lecting. The  oranges,  sweet  potatoes,  &c.  &c. 
could  not  be  spoiled,  but  were  sometimes  not 
found  in  sufficient  quantity  to  supply  the 
demand. 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  49 


CHAPTER  V. 

West  End,  or  Frederickstadt. 

AFTER  becoming  pretty  well  acquainted  with 
the  particulars  of  Bassin,  it  was  natural  to  pay 
a  visit  at  least  to  West  End,  the  general  resort 
of  Americans.  On  leaving  Bassin,  which  is 
situate  nearly  on  a  level  with  the  ocean,  and 
passing  over  the  plantations  situate  under  the 
lee  of  the  hills,  and  still  elevated  several  hun- 
dred feet  from  the  shore,  it  was  immediately 
observed  from  the  appearance  of  every  thing-, 
that  it  was  impossible  the  frequent  showers 
we  had  lately  had  in  town  could  have  reached 
here.  The  air  was  pure,  dry,  and  elastic, 
beyond  any  thing  before  observed.  Gentle 
breezes  found  their  way  through  all  the  val- 
leys, and  over  all  the  plains,  banishing  exces- 
sive perspiration,  increasing  the  strength  and 
enlivening  the  spirits,  and  giving  a  brisk  mo- 
tion to  the  windmills  stationed  on  almost 
every  hill-top,  like  so  many  valorous  defenders 
of  the  high  places ;  the  heavy  rich  growth  of 
cane  was  gently  waving  in  the  breeze,  with  a 
5 


50  A    WINTER    IN   THE 

slight  rustling  murmur ;  beautiful  rows  of  or- 
namental trees  bordered  the  splendid  road  we 
were  passing;  the  warbling  of  birds  was  heard 
among  their  branches ;  small  fleecy  clouds 
were  floating  in  the  heavens,  alternately  vary- 
ing every  view,  from  the  brightest  sunshine  to 
the  deepest  shade ;  and  every  thing  combined 
to  impress  me  with  the  idea  of  passing  through 
some  enchanted  land  of  the  wildest  romance, 
rather  than  any  reality  of  the  earth.  After  a 
ride  of  two  hours  and  a  half  through  scenes 
constantly  varying,  but  everywhere  beautiful, 
with  a  range  of  cultivated  conical  hills  on  the 
right,  and  a  view  of  the  ocean  over  miles  of 
cane  fields  and  groves  of  palm  trees  on  the 
left,  the  village  of  West  End  suddenly  burst 
upon  the  view.  One  of  those  slight  momen- 
tary showers  which  are  common  here,  was 
hanging  over  the  village,  throwing  all  the 
colours  of  the  rainbow  over  a  scene  which  is 
always  surpassingly  beautiful.  The  effect 
was  at  once  beautiful  and  sublime  beyond  de- 
scription. The  imagination  of  Mahomet  could 
not  supply  its  equal  with  which  to  adorn  his 
Paradise. 

This  village  is  situate  on  open  ground,  gra- 
dually rising  from  the  shore,  not  hemmed  in 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  51 

by  hills,  like  Bassin,  but  with  plenty  in  per- 
spective, to  give  grandeur  as  well  as  beauty  to 
the  scenery,  and  is  bounded  on  every  side,  ex- 
cept the  shore,  with  highly  cultivated  sugar 
plantations.  The  streets  are  wider  than  those 
of  Bassin,  and  the  buildings  less  compact,  in  a 
better  state  of  preservation,  and  more  in  Ameri- 
can taste.  There  are  also  more  gardens  and 
shrubbery  about  town ;  and,  what  is  observa- 
ble at  the  first  view,  neither  the  buildings  nor 
the  soil  show  such  strong  indications  of  fre- 
quent rains.  As  near  as  I  can  judge,  there  are 
about  one  thousand  inhabitants  in  the  village, 
nearly  half  whites.  The  amount  of  mercan- 
tile business  is  as  much  or  more  than  that  of 
Bassin,  and  the  number  of  vessels  in  the  har- 
bour about  the  same.  Like  almost  every  other 
American,  I  at  once  fell  into  the  notion  that 
this  place  was  far  superior  to  the  other,  and 
determined  to  change  my  quarters.  From  five 
or  six  weeks'  residence  here,  visiting  Bassin 
occasionally,  and  making  particular  inquiries 
of  others,  I  was  confirmed  in  the  opinion  that 
there  was  not  half  as  much  rain,  dampness  of 
atmosphere,  or  actual  sickness,  here  as  there. 
Almost  every  body  who  left  here  in  fair 
weather,  found  it  rainy  or  damp  there,  and 


52  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

those  who  left  it  wet  there,  found  it  dry  here. 
The  account  of  the  weather  above  given,  there- 
fore, is  not  accurate  in  application  to  West 
End  or  the  island  in  general.  The  frequency 
of  showers,  however,  was  a  general  subject  of 
complaint  even  here.  Although  there  were 
some  days  when  it  did  not  rain  at  all,  still  two 
or  three  showers  a-day  were  very  common, 
and  sometimes  there  were  ten  or  a  dozen,  with 
bright  sunshine  intervening.  These  showers 
generally  last  but  a  few  moments,  and  extend 
but  little  distance;  it  being  no  uncommon 
occurrence  for  one  estate  to  get  plenty  of  rain 
while  the  next  is  parching  with  drought. 
This  frequency  of  rain,  together  with  the  rank 
growth  of  vegetation,  would  make  a  very  un- 
healthy climate  were  it  not  for  the  nature  of 
the  soil,  (which  does  not  retain  the  water,  the 
elevation  of  the  land  keeping  it  always  dry,) 
and  the  fine  cultivation  of  almost  every  acre 
of  ground,  except  some  of  the  steepest  and 
roughest  hills.  The  rain  washes  away  every 
impurity.  There  is  no  low  land  or  stagnant 
water ;  and  there  is  scarcely  any  sickness,  ex- 
cept from  direct  exposure  to  rain,  night  air,  or 
sunshine.  With  proper  care,  therefore,  it  is  a 
good  climate  for  invalids  from  the  north  who 


WEST  INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.      53 

need  only  evenness  of  temperature  and  elasti- 
city of  atmosphere.  With  all  the  beneficial 
effects  I  experienced,  however,  it  was  difficult 
to  become  reconciled  to  the  idea  of  closing 
windows  the  moment  the  sun  set  or  a  shower 
arose,  of  keeping  close  in  the  evening  and 
through  all  the  middle  of  the  day.  An  attack 
of  catarrh  and  asthma  at  night  was  sure  to 
follow  exposure  to  the  evening  air;  and  on 
several  occasions,  during  the  month  of  Janu- 
ary, my  old  difficulties  came  upon  me  with 
sufficient  severity  to  cause  restless  nights,  with 
a  severe  turn  of  asthma  and  cough  towards 
morning.  In  spite  of  all  this,  however,  my 
general  health  kept  improving,  and  my  weight 
increased  seven  or  eight  pounds  in  a  month. 
Many  others  found  themselves  daily  increasing 
in  weight  and  substance,  as  well  as  in  health 
and  spirits,  and  there  was  a  general  expression 
in  favour  of  the  climate :  some,  however,  con- 
sidered it  very  bad.  In  regard  to  the  moisture 
and  frequent  showers,  it  is  fair  to  state,  that 
so  rainy  a  winter  had  not  been  known  there 
for  several  years,  if  the  statements  of  the  in- 
habitants are  to  be  relied  upon. 

As  to  medical  attendance;  the  very  best  can 
5* 


54  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

be  procured  at  St.  Croixj  several  eminent 
physicians  residing  there,  one  of  whom,  Dr. 
Steadman,  of  West  End,  had  a  hemorrhage  at 
the  lungs  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  came  there 
for  his  health,  and  now  looks  hardy  and  ro- 
bust at  the  age  of  about  sixty.  The  charges 
for  medical  attendance  are  moderate. 

There  were  six  boarding-houses  here,  en- 
tertaining in  all  about  seventy  American 
boarders,  about  one  half  of  whom  were  inva- 
lids, and  the  residue  their  husbands,  wives,  or 
companions :  of  course,  every  house  was  filled 
to  overflowing.  The  board  of  the  whole  at 
ten  dollars  per  week  amounts  to  two  thou- 
sand eight  hundred  dollars  per  month,  and  in 
six  months,  to  nearly  twenty  thousand 
dollars:  a  considerable  little  revenue  for  a 
small  village.  The  inhabitants  may  well  feel 
disposed  to  encourage  American  visiters  to 
come  here,  and  try  to  please  them  when  they 
get  here.  Rent  is  very  low,  and  keeping 
boarders  must  be  profitable.  One  establish- 
ment, which  cost  only  three  thousand  dollars, 
kept  seventeen  boarders.  There  are  plenty  of 
small  houses,  suitable  for  single  private  fami- 
lies, to  be  had  at  about  eight  dollars  per  month ; 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  55 

and  although  it  might  cost  some  trouble,  I  can 
but  think  many  would  prefer  keeping  house 
to  boarding,  if  they  could  come  from  home 
well  prepared.  Besides  the  objections  to 
boarding  before  mentioned,  there  are  some 
others,  more  apparent  here  than  at  Bassin. 
The  great  number  of  invalids  makes  it  seem 
more  like  a  hospital  than  a  boarding-house, 
and  nervous  people  are  not  at  all  benefitted  by 
having  so  many  patients  before  their  eyes, 
hearing  the  stories  of  their  sufferings,  and 
sympathising  in  their  despair.  A  person,  how- 
ever, who  is  not  alarmed  at  beholding  hard 
cases  of  disease,  will  find  some,  if  not  all,  of 
these  boarding-houses  very  comfortable,  in  res- 
pect of  rooms,  settees,  &c.  &c. 

Another  objection  that  weighs  with  some,,  is 
that  ten  or  fifteen  Americans,  especially  from 
the  same  city,  cannot  spend  six  months 
together  in  the  same  house,  and  with  nothing 
else  to  do,  without  getting  up  some  petty  mis- 
chief-making scheme  or  other,  or  without 
some  of  them  attempting  to  show  their  supe- 
riority over  others,  either  in  point  of  wealth, 
standing,  etiquette,  or  extravagance,  in  such 
manner  as  seriously  to  annoy  any  one  who 


56  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

has  too  much  sense  to  participate  in  such  con- 
temptible efforts.  A  sly,  cunning,  knowing, 
sort  of  a  fool,  that  tells  all  news,  and  knows 
everybody's  business  in  advance,  and  always 
gets  it  wrong  ;  a  jesting  fellow,  always  dealing 
in  inuendoes  and  putting  everybody  to  the 
trouble  of  deciding  whether  jesting,  or  in 
earnest ;  a  dandy  clerk,  with  a  salary  of  three 
hundred  a  year,  strutting  in  ruffles,  and  ridi- 
culing every  body  behind  his  notions  of  fash- 
ionable dress ;  or  what  is  worse  than  either, 
one  of  Nature's  little  great  men,  eternally  in- 
sinuating that  nobody  can  be  anything  who 
does  not  come  up  to  him,  in  eating  and  drink- 
ing according  to  fashion,  or  amount  of  expen- 
ditures, when  perhaps  his  creditors  at  home 
are  wondering  why  he  does  not  pay  his  debts ; 
or  some  other  equally  disgusting  and  unen- 
durable bore,  is  almost  sure  to  be  found  at  a 
public  boarding-house,  and  to  be  a  greater 
cause  of  annoyance  than  any  one  can  imagine 
before  he  has  tried  it.  T^o  set  off  against  evils 
of  this  sort,  however,  almost  every  place 
affords  an  acquaintance  with  some  who  are  at 
once  talented,  intelligent,  and  polite,  and 
whose  valuable  society  would  be  lost,  or  at 


WEST     INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  57 

least  but  partially  enjoyed  by  one  who  should 
avoid  a  boarding-house.  These  are  small 
matters,  but  it  is  better  to  consider  them  in 
advance,  as  they  are  sure  to  be  thought  of  at 
some  time. 

Of  the  invalids  here,  three  died  during  the 
months  of  December  and  January,  being 
hopeless  cases  of  consumption,  from  their 
first  start  from  home  ;  two  or  three  other  cases 
of  far-gone  consumption  derived  but  little 
advantage  from  the  climate.  Some  five  or 
six  others  were  much  improved,  and  their 
sufferings  much  alleviated,  without  any  very 
encouraging  appearance  of  ultimate  recovery  ; 
five  or  six  had  every  appearance  of  perfect 
health,  after  severe  attacks  of  hemorrhage  at 
the  lungs  at  the  north  ;  and  four  or  five  cases 
of  asthma  were  now,  as  they  had  before  been, 
entirely  relieved,  while  remaining  in  a  tropical 
climate,  but  had  found  the  disease  return  on 
going  north  heretofore,  and  no  doubt  will  find 
the  same  result  again.  The  effect  of  the 
change  of  climate  upon  persons  afflicted  with 
catarrh,  asthma,  and  bronchitis,  is  at  the  same 
time  so  certain  and  beneficial,  that  those  who 
have  been  thus  afflicted  for  any  considerable 


58  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

length  of  time,  had  better  abandon  the  north 
at  once,  and  keep  themselves  between  the 
tropics,  where  they  can  enjoy  a  good  degree  of 
health  and  comfort,  in  lieu  of  a  life  of  severe 
affliction,  and  premature  death,  in  the  damp, 
chilly  regions  of  their  own  country.  It  is 
hard  to  quit  all,  and  go,  but  harder  still,  to  stay 
and  suffer. 

It  was  probably  not  the  fault  of  the  cli- 
mate in  some  cases  which  prevented  the  im- 
provement of  invalids ;  but  merely  their 
own  carelessness  and  imprudence,  in  ex- 
posing themselves  to  the  evening  air,  dining 
out,  staying  late,  and  eating  extravagantly, 
drinking  champagne,  &c.,  &c.  Some  who 
were  almost  daily  expectorating  blood,  in- 
dulged themselves  in  such  imprudent  experi- 
ments. The  ordinary  hour  of  dining  with 
the  Danes  is  5  o'clock,  p.  M.,  consequently, 
no  one  dines  out  without  making  an  evening 
affair  of  it.  It  may  seem  strange  that  an  in- 
valid should  think  of  such  a  thing  ;  but  feel- 
ing so  much  better  here  than  at  home,  and 
the  strong  desire  to  do  something  to  break  in 

o  o 

upon  the  dull  monotony  of  the  life  he  is  liv- 
ing, naturally  lead  him  to  venture  upon 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  59 

indulgences   he   would    never   think  of    at 
home. 

The  first  three  or  four  weeks  at  West 
End  passes  off  pretty  comfortable.  Picking 
up  shells  upon  the  shore  amuses  for  a  while  ; 
riding  affords  a  recreation  not  quite  so  soon 
worn  out.  Two  hours'  ride,  in  two  or  three 
different  directions,  carries  one  over  the  best 
roads  and  through  some  of  the  finest  sceneiy 
on  earth.  In  a  carriage,  you  may  ride  three 
or  four  miles  along  a  clear  little  creek,  wind- 
ing about  between  hills  from  500  to  1000  feet 
high,  rising  precipitately  on  each  side,  and 
still  covered  with  cane  to  the  very  summit ; 
with  clusters  of  limes,  oranges,  shattucks, 
and  forbidden  fruit,  scattered  along  the  banks 
of  the  stream  and  margin  of  the  way,  almost 
within  reach  ;  with  a  thick  growth  of  wild 
and  fragrant  flowers  scattered  beneath  ;  or 
on  horseback,  you  may  ascend  at  once  the 
loftiest  summits,  Mount  Washington  and 
Signal  Hill,  nearly  a  thousand  feet  high, 
with  not  only  roads,  but  rows  of  ornamental 
trees  across  them,  and  look  down  upon  the 
whole  island,  spread  out  below,  like  a  beau- 
tiful and  highly  cultivated  garden.  Scenes 


60  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

like  these  are  delightful,  but  the  novelty 
soon  wears  away,  and  it  seems  dull  and  mo- 
notonous to  be  always  riding  over  the  same 
ground.  Dullness  was  a  very  genuine  com- 
plaint, especially  among  those  who  were 
well,  much  more  so  than  it  would  be  under 
similar  circumstances  at  the  north  ;  because 
here  the  climate  predisposes  to  a  kind  of 
mental  indolence,  which  renders  it  almost 
impossible  to  read.  The  attention  and  mem- 
ory both  fail,  and  the  book  is  soon  thrown 
aside  for  something  more  exciting,  if  it  can 
be  found.  As  to  the  climate,  however,  al- 
though some  dislike  it,  a  majority  of  the  visi- 
ters  considered  it  decidedly  the  most  favour- 
able for  invalids  of  any  within  their  know- 
ledge. As  to  myself,  however,  my  health 
growing  worse  along  the  latter  part  of 
January,  I  determined  to  make  the  trial  of 
some  others  during  the  winter,  if  an  oppor- 
tunity should  offer ;  and,  accordingly,  en- 
gaged a  passage  for  Trinidad  de  Cuba, 
early  in  February.  I  have  now  given  all 
the  material  circumstances  of  my  residence 
at  the  two  villages,  and  a  brief  general 
description  of  the  island  will  close  my  re- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  61 

marks  upon  St.  Croix,  and  enable  every 
reader  to  see  the  whole  before  him,  precisely 
as  he  will  find  it  if  he  ever  goes  there :  the 
good  and  the  bad,  fairly  and  faithfully  de- 
tailed, without  fear,  favour,  affection,  or  the 
hope  of  reward.  Those  interested  may  give 
a  more  flattering  account,  but  I  can  only  give 
it  just  as  I  found  it. 


62  A    WINTER    IN    THE 


CHAPTER   VI. 

Santa  Cruz  in  General. 

ST.  CROIX  is  an  island,  about  eighteen  miles 
long,  situated  in  latitude  17°  45'  north,  lon- 
gitude -  •  west  of  Greenwich.  It  is  al- 
most exclusively  devoted  to  the  cultivation  of 
sugar-cane,  and  the  manufacture  of  sugar, 
molasses,  and  rum.  In  a  good  season  it  pro- 
duces from  fifty  to  sixty  thousand  hogsheads 
of  muscovado  sugar  of  the  best  quality.  It  is 
generally  calculated  that  the  molasses  and 
rum  will  pay  all  the  contingent  expenses  of 
the  estates  ;  leaving  the  sugar  for  clear  in- 
come, which  at  seventy-five  dollars  the  hogs- 
head, for  which  it  is  generally  sold  there,  in 
a  good  season,  amounts  to  three  millions 
seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars. 
This  great  revenue  is  produced  by  the  care- 
ful cultivation  of  almost  every  inch  of  the 
soil,  the  estates  generally  consisting  of  but 
one  hundred  and  fifty  to  three  hundred  acres 
each  ;  and  nearly  one  hundred  negroes  being 
employed  upon  each  one  hundred  and  fifty 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  63 

acres.  The  soil  is  dry  and  sweet,  producing 
the  best  cane,  and  consequently  the  best  su- 
gar known.  I  had  heard  much  of  filthiness 
in  the  manufacture  of  sugar  and  molasses, 
but  the  first  view  of  a  St.  Croix  sugar-works 
contradicted  it.  The  kettles,  the  vats  in 
which  the  sugar  is  cooled,  the  hogsheads  in 
which  it  is  drained,  and  even  the  molasses 
vats  under  them,  are  so  perfectly  neat  and 
clean,  that  no  one  who  has  seen  them  can 
feel  any  squeamishness  in  eating  St.  Croix 
sugar,  or  molasses  either.  To  look  at  a  vat- 
full,  a  foot  deep,  just  chrystalizing  over  the 
surface,  and  perfectly  transparent  to  the  bot- 
tom, would  satisfy  the  most  scrupulous  upon 
this  point.  There  is  about  twenty-five  thou- 
sand black,  and  three  thousand  white  popu- 
lation. Of  course,  it  is  seldom  a  white  man 
is  seen  in  riding  through  the  island. 

Many  of  the  blacks  are  free,  and  the  slaves, 
by  the  protection  afforded  them  by  the  Dan- 
ish laws,  are  about  as  well  satisfied  with 
slavery  as  they  would  be  with  freedom.  No 
slave  can  be  taken  from  the  island  without 
security  for  his  or  her  return  ;  masters  can- 
not inflict  punishment  without  the  interven- 
tion of  public  authority ;  no  slave  can  be 


64  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

sold  against  his  or  her  consent,  except  with 
the  estate ;  and  cheap  and  easy  provisions  are 
made  for  emancipation.  Such  is  the  ex- 
pectation of  a  general  abolition,  that  the 
prices  of  slaves  are  only  about  one  fourth 
as  high  as  in  the  United  States.  In  the  vil- 
lage of  Christianstadt,  a  large  proportion  of 
the  retail  trade,  and  nearly  all  the  mechan- 
ical labour,  is  in  the  hands  of  the  free 
blacks  and  mulattoes  ;  and  the  politeness,  in- 
telligence, and  ability  of  some  of  these,  would 
surprise  those  who  think  their  race  by  Nature 
unfit  for  freedom.  Many  of  them  have  good 
countenances,  are  well  behaved,  and  appear 
to  evince  as  much  discretion  and  judgment 
as  whites  under  similar  circumstances.  Some 
of  them  hold  commissions  in  the  militia  ser- 
vice ;  one  has  been  promoted  to  the  distin- 
guished situation  of  Governor's  aid-de-camp  ; 
and  instead  of  considering  the  race  as  on  a 
level  with  brutes,  many  of  the  white  inhabit- 
ants deem  them  nearly,  if  not  quite,  on  a 
level  with  themselves.  I  listened  for  a  whole 
evening  to  a  very  warm  discussion  of  the 
question,  whether  a  lady  would  be  justified 
in  refusing  to  dance  with  a  negro  or  mu- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  65 

latto  at  a  ball ;  and  the  negative  was  not 
wanting  in  supporters. 

It  is  almost  surprising,  that  so  small  a  num- 
ber of  proprietors  should  have  had  the  public 
spirit  and  perseverance  to  make  such  costly 
fine  roads,  not  only  as  public  highways 
whenever  needed,  but  should  also  have  made 
a  good  private  road  around  almost  every  es- 
tate ;  beautifully  ornamenting  both  with 
palm  and  cocoa-nut  trees,  which  cut  the 
whole  into  squares,  and  add  much  to  the 
beauty  of  the  scenery.  On  each  estate  there 
are  generally  a  fine  mansion,  a  sugar-house, 
windmill,  and  plenty  of  negro-houses,  all  sit- 
uate upon  an  eminence  and  interspersed  with 
fruit  and  ornamental  trees.  Little  attention 
is  given,  however,  to  the  cultivation  of  fruits, 
and,  in  many  places,  not  an  orange  will  be 
seen  for  miles.  Sugar-cane  seems  to  have 
engrossed  the  whole  attention  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, and  crowded  out  almost  every  thing 
else. 

The  fact,  that  sugar-houses  are  worked  by 
wind-mills,  is  good  evidence  that  there  are 
plenty  of  breezes.  They  almost  always  blow 
from  north-east  to  south-east ;  and  such  is 
the  evenness  of  temperature,  that  the  ther- 


66  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

raometer  varies  but  about  four  degrees  from 
calm  to  breeze,  and  vice  versa.  The  varia- 
tion is  seldom  greater  between  night  and  day, 
and  there  is,  on  an  average,  less  than  ten 
degrees  difference  between  winter  and  sum- 
mer ;  during  the  former  ranging  from  82°  to 
86°,  and  the  latter  from  88°  to  93°  or  94°. 
The  inhabitants  have  their  fevers  in  the 
winter  season  only,  and  never  very  severely. 
It  is  a  very  common  thing  to  hear  one  ob- 
serve, "such  a  one  got  the  fever  the  other 
day,  but  he  is  up  again."  American  visiters. 
in  some  instances,  had  a  slight  attack,  but 
very  seldom.  On  the  whole,  therefore,  it 
must  be  pronounced  a  very  good  climate,  not- 
withstanding the  frequency  of  showers,  and 
other  evils  before  mentioned.  Upon  careful 
examination,  I  concluded  that  the  fever  and 
ague  scarcely  ever  occurred,  except  in  situa- 
tions about  level  with  the  sea,  where  little 
creeks  from  the  ocean  set  up  into  the  land, 
with  a  rank  growth  of  vegetation  along  the 
shore,  as  at  and  about  Bassin ;  and  that  stran- 
gers were  not  subject  to  it,  even  there,  with- 
out unnecessary  exposure. 

Near  Bassin  is  an  estate  called  Richmond, 
beautifully  situated,  where  invalids  have  oc- 


WEST  INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.      67 

casionally  been  entertained.  The  mansion- 
house  is  finely  situated  on  a  gentle  elevation 
of  ground,  at  a  distance  of  forty  or  fifty  rods 
from  the  street,  with  a  fine  private  road 
adorned  with  columns  of  Thibet  trees,  leading 
to  it ;  is  surrounded  by  a  fine  growth  of  fruit, 
and  other  ornamental  trees,  furnishing  several 
shady  walks ;  commands  a  fine  view  of  the 
harbour,  and  the  ocean,  on  one  side,  and  the 
mountains  on  the  other ;  and  on  the  whole, 
has  a  very  fascinating  appearance  to  stran- 
gers. Learning  that  an  American  family 
was  stopping  there,  I  called  for  the  purpose  of 
procuring  accommodations,  in  what  I  con- 
sidered the  most  beautiful  situation  in  the 
vicinity  of  Bassin ;  but  could  not  obtain  the 
situation,  on  account  of  the  sickness  of  its 
proprietor.  He  was  under  the  influence  of  a 
severe  attack  of  ague,  and  his  countenance 
was  as  pallid  and  woe-begone  as  any  I  ever 
witnessed,  in  the  worst  fever  and  ague  re- 
gions in  Illinois  and  Ohio.  It  occurred  to 
me,  at  the  time,  that  his  disease  must  be  ow- 
ing to  the  moisture  caused  by  the  rank 
growth  of  plants  and  trees  about  his  house, 
and  a  little  creek  near  it,  along  which  was  a 
growth  of  trees  with  foliage  of  that  deep 


68  A   WINTER    IN    THE 

green  that  indicates  richness  and  dampness 
of  soil.  Upon  inquiry,  I  ascertained  that  al- 
most every  family  of  Americans  that  have 
stopped  at  the  house,  have  been  visited  with 
similar  attacks,  and  in  some  cases  with  severe 
fevers.  In  the  winter  of  1836-7,  Mr.  Blake, 
of  Boston,  took  lodgings  there,  with  his  wife 
and  several  children,  every  one  of  whom 
had  fevers,  or  fever  and  ague.  This  is 
enough  to  show  the  great  importance  of  se- 
lecting a  dry  situation.  Humidity  should  be 
avoided  as  the  invalid's  worst  enemy,  not 
excepting  cold. 

With  a  knowledge  of  all  these  particulars,, 
invalids  and  their  friends  can  judge  upon  the 
propriety  of  their  visiting  St.  Croix.  The 
difficulty  of  getting  accommodations  in  some, 
and  of  foreign  languages  in  others,  of  the 
West  India  islands,  has  in  a  great  measure 
prevented  a  fair  trial  of  other  places  ;  and  this 
being  best  known,  and  most  accessible,  has 
very  naturally  been  preferred,  and  whatever 
may  be  the  advantages  of  other  places,,  will, 
no  doubt,  by  many,  continue  to  be  preferred 
to  all  others. 

The  currency  of  St.  Croix  consists  of  bank 
notes  and  base  coin,  with  as  much  gold  and 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  69 

silver  as  they  can  get.  The  standard  of 
value  is  pieces  of  weight,  of  sixty-four  cents 
each,  without  any  coin  to  represent  it;  sti- 
vers seventy-five  to  the  dollar,  made  of  pew- 
ter, or  something  like  that,  and  old  bits  of 
five  stivers  each,  of  the  same  coin.  This 
does  not  much  concern  an  American,  except 
to  have  none  of  their  money  on  leaving,  as  it 
is  good  no  where  else.  But  one  thing  is 
worthy  of  the  traveller's  attention,  i.  e.  the 
kind  of  money  he  brings  from  home.  A 
Spanish  doubloon  passes  for  no  more  than  a 
patriot,  whereas  there  is  generally  a  dollar 
difference  at  New- York.  There  is  generally 
a  gain  on  the  latter  of  twenty-five  to  fifty 
cents,  on  coming  here,  whereas  on  Spanish 
there  is  a  loss  of  seventy-five,  or  thereabouts, 
as  they  pass  here  for  only  sixteen  dollars,  and 
generally  cost  sixteen  seventy-five  in  New- 
York,  and  are  always  worth  seventeen  at 
Havana. 

One  word  as  to  passports,  and  I  shall  have 
done  with  St.  Croix.  The  Danish  authorities 
require  no  passport  from  Americans  on  their 
arrival ;  but  only  that  passengers  should  call  at 
the  police  office,  and  report  themselves.  There 
is  no  necessity  therefore  for  a  passport,  from 


70  A   WINTER    IN    THE 

our  Government,  or  from  the  Danish  consul  in 
our  country.  I  understood  the  Danish  consul 
at  New- York  gave  several  passports  at  two 
dollars  and  a  half  each,  telling  passengers  that 
it  would  be  necessary  to  have  one,  or  would 
preclude  the  necessity  of  paying  for  one  on 
leaving  the  island ;  but  they  were  of  no  use 
whatever,  because  not  required.  On  leaving 
the  island,  however,  a  passport  must  be  taken 
out  here,  for  which  the  fee'  is  nine  dollars 
sixty-four  cents,  to  the  United  States,  two  dol- 
lars and  a  half  to  St.  Thomas,  and  four  dollars 
to  Porto  Rico.  This  is  a  contrivance  to  raise 
money,  and  as  it  is  imposed  upon  their  own 
citizens,  as  well  as  foreigners,  we  cannot  so 
much  complain.  It  is,  however,  at  once  un- 
just towards  the  Americans,  and  impolitic  in 
the  Santa  Crucians.  Eight  or  nine  hundred 
dollars  was  extorted  from  us  this  year, 
whereas,  Danish  subjects  may  freely  come  to, 
go  through,  and  depart  from  our  country, 
without  passport,  or  paying  fees.  The  Go- 
vernment will  probably  find  it  for  their  inter- 
est, if  not  to  dispense  with  the  passport,  at 
least  to  reduce  the  fee.  Although  not  ne- 
cessary, it  is  always  advisable  for  every  Ameri- 
can, on  leaving  his  country,  to  obtain  a  pass- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  71 

port  from  the  Secretary  of  State,  and  in  going 
to  most  countries  it  is  necessary  to  have  it  pre- 
sented to  and  endorsed  by  a  consul,  in  our  coun- 
try, of  the  country  to  be  visited.  In  case,  there- 
fore, of  concluding  to  go  to  other  countries,  the 
passport  from  home  saves  some  trouble,  as  I 
have  dearly  learned  by  being  without  one. 
It  is  not  very  consoling  to  an  American,  to  be 
told  he  cannot  go  where  he  pleases,  and  frus- 
trated in  all  his  plans. 


72  \    WINTER    IN    THE 


CHAPTER    VII. 

Voyago  to  Trinidad  de  Cuba. 

IT  is  worthy  of  remark,  as  showing  the  great 
ignorance  that  prevails  as  to  this  as  well  as 
many  other  places  in  the  West  Indies,  that 
my  friends  expressed  the  greatest  surprise  at 
my  thinking  of  going  to  such  a  sickly  place. 
Several  assured  me  that  the  yellow  fever  pre- 
vailed there  at  all  seasons;  that  the  inhabit- 
ants were  nearly  barbarous  ;  that  there  was 
great  danger  of  robbery  ;  and  that  it  would  be 
impossible  to  get  a  comfortable  living,  or  to 
get  away  by  land  except  by  mounting  a  mule, 
as  no  horses  could  be  had  there.  As  the  cap- 
tain I  was  going  with  was  an  old  trader  to 
that  place,  information  was  easily  obtained 
from  him  which  quieted  all  such  apprehen- 
sions ;  and  on  the  evening  of  the  sixth  of 
February  I  was  again  upon  the  waters, 
stretching  my  way  before  a  whole-sail  trade- 
wind  at  the  rate  of  nine  knots  an  hour.  In 
three  days  we  passed  along  the  south  side  of 
Porto  Rico  and  St.  Domingo,  with  the  high 


WEST    INDIES    AND   FLORIDA.  73 

lands  of  one  or  the  other  constantly  in  sight  to 
the  very  southwesterly  extremity  of  the  latter, 
where  the  trade-winds  demurred  to  going  any 
further,  and  left  us  becalmed  for  three  or  four 
days,  with  as  bright  a  sky  and  pure  an  at- 
mosphere as  mortal  ever  beheld  or  breathed. 
The  trades  are  broken  by  the  high  promon- 
tory at  the  S.  W.  extremity  of  St.  Domingo 
and  the  elevated  lands  of  Jamaica,  nearly 
south,  a  distance  of  only  about  eighty  miles ; 
and  consequently  the  places  to  the  westward 
are  not,  like  St.  Croix  and  all  the  Windward 
Islands,  regularly  visited  by  the  plentiful  sup- 
ply of  moisture  brought  by  a  wind  regularly 
sweeping  two  thousand  miles  of  ocean,  and 
always  attracted  to  the  first  land  it  meets  in 
the  shape  of  copious  and  frequent  showers. 
The  generally  moist  appearance  of  the  land 
to  the  windward,  and  the  extreme  drought  to 
the  leeward,  no  less  than  the  striking  change 

*  O  O 

in  the  air  as  soon  as  the  trade-winds  ceased, 
confirmed  me  strongly  in  this  opinion.  Here 
the  atmosphere  was  so  pure  that  we  could 
distinctly  see  Jamaica  and  Cuba  at  the  same 
time,  where  they  are  nearly  one  hundred 
miles  apart.  A  land-breeze  from  the  Cuba 
shore  carried  us  to  Trinidad  on  the  tenth 
7 


74  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

day  of  the  voyage.  The  whole  distance  is 
about  one  thousand  miles ;  and  the  passage 
was  only  sixteen  dollars  in  a  good  brig,  with 
good  accommodations.  It  was  decidedly  the 
pleasantest,  as  well  as  the  cheapest  passage, 
I  had  ever  made.  Although  sea-sick  part  of 
the  time,  my  health  greatly  improved  during 
the  voyage,  the  symptoms  of  asthma  and  ca- 
tarrh which  had  been  gradually  returning 
upon  me  during  the  latter  part  of  January, 
having  entirely  vanished ;  and  when  the 
blue  mountains  of  Trinidad,  piled  to  the  very 
skies  in  the  rear  of  the  city  as  a  barrier 
against  north  winds,  showed  by  their  with- 
ered herbage  and  dry  sand-banks  along  their 
base,  the  entire  absence  of  humidity,  and 
the  exhilarating  mountain  breeze  restored 
energy  to  the  body  and  sprightliness  to  the 
mind,  I  could  not  but  rejoice  at  the  fortu- 
nate exchange  of  places  ;  and  instead  of  go- 
ing ashore  with  the  feelings  of  a  stranger 
in  a  strange  land,  mine  were  much  more  like 
those  of  an  exile  returning  to  his  home  after 
a  banishment  for  years  to  some  cold,  inhos- 
pitable region. 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  75 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Trinidad  do  Cuba. 

THE  city  of  Trinidad  is  situate  in  the  pro- 
vince of  the  same  name,  on  the  south  side  of 
the  island  of  Cuba,  at  lat.  about  21°  42'  N. 

The  site  of  the  town  is  a  rising  ground, 
near  the  foot  of  a  lofty  range  of  mountains 
running  east  and  west,  about  four  miles  from 
the  port  of  Casilda,  through  which  all  its 
commercial  business  is  transacted,  it  being 
the  only  port  of  entry  in  the  province. 
There  is  a  good  harbor,  and  many  vessels, 
principally  American,  go  there  for  sugars 
and  molasses,  generally  disposing  of  their 
outward  cargoes  elsewhere.  In  the  year 
1838,  about  one  hundred  American  vessels 
cleared  from  that  port  —  a  larger  number 
than  those  of  all  other  nations  together. 
The  export  of  sugar  and  molasses  is  about  one 
and  a  half  to  two  millions  of  dollars  annu- 
ally, besides  a  considerable  amount  of  coffee, 
tobacco,  segars,  wild  honey,  and  beeswax. 
It  will  be  perceived,  therefore,  that  the  com- 


76  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

mercial  importance  of  the  place  is  considera- 
ble ;  and  still  there  is  not  a  single  vessel 
regularly  trading  there  from  New- York,  or 
scarcely  a  New- York  merchant  who  has  any 
considerable  trade  with  the  place.  Portland, 
Boston,  Philadelphia,  and  Charleston,  nearly 
engross  the  trade.  Casilda  has  about  five 
hundred,  and  Trinidad  about  ten  thousand 
inhabitants,  about  one  half  of  whom  are 
slaves.  It  is  the  seat  of  government  of  the 
province  ;  has  considerable  internal  trade ; 
and  on  the  whole  is  a  pretty,  thriving,  stirring 
place  for  a  Spanish  city;  but  dull  enough 
compared  with  what  it  would  be  in  the  hands 
of  Americans. '  In  the  United' States  it  would 
be  a  strange  thing  to  see  a  city  of  ten  thou- 
sand inhabitants  carrying  on  a  large  commer- 
cial business  through  a  port  four  miles  distant, 
and  transporting  all  their  merchandize  upon 
ox-carts,  when  a  railroad  would  accomplish 
the  same  thing  at  one  quarter  the  expense. 
But  here,  it  is  enough  that  a  thing  has  been 
done  in  a  particular  manner.  It  must  con- 
tinue to  be  done  in  the  same  manner.  It 
does  no  good  to  suggest  improvements.  The 
answer  always  is,  "  We  get  along  very  well 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  77 

as  things  are.  We  are  not  fond  of  experi- 
ments," &c.  &c. 

The  Trinidad  river,  a  clear,  chrystal  little 
stream,  comes  down  from  the  mountains,  run- 
ning along  by  the  westerly  side  of  the  city 
and  furnishing  a  plentiful  supply  of  fine  wa- 
ter. It  is  so  perfectly  clear,  as  to  need  no 
filtering,  and  is  as  fine  water  to  drink  as 
abounds  anywhere,  not  excepting  the  pure 
streams  from  the  Green  Mountains  in  Ver- 
mont. It  is-  dipped  up,  put  in  jugs,  swung 
across  mules  and  horses,  and  thus  carried 
constantly  to  all  parts  of  the  city.  This  keeps 
the  street  leading  to  it  continually  thronged 
with  water-carriers  —  there  being  more  slaves 
and  beasts  thus  employed  than  would  be  re- 
quired to  construct,  in  six  months,  water- 
works that  would  conduct  a  supply  to  every 
house  in  the  city.  But  this  would  savour 
too  much  of  improvement.  They  are  very 
well  satisfied  as  it  is,  and  what  do  they  want 
more? 

Before  going  to  the  city  I  remained  a  day 
or  two  at  Casilda.  The  land  for  a  mile  along 
the  beach  is  low  and  sandy,  and  the  shore  is 
bordered  by  a  growth  of  bushes,  under  which 
the  tide  ebbs  and  flows.  These  circum- 
7* 


78  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

stances,  together  with  the  fact  that  several 
seamen  on  board  vessels  in  the  harbour 
were  down  with  fevers,  led  me  to  suspect 
the  place  unhealthy.  But  on  examination 
and  inquiry,  I  learned  to  my  entire  satisfac- 
tion, that  notwithstanding  these  appearances, 
even  the  port  of  Casilda,  which  is  far  less  fa- 
vourably situate  than  Trinidad,  was  as 
healthy  as  any  in  the  West  Indies.  The 
water  circulates  freely  through  the  bushes  ; 
the  shore  is  dry ;  and  as  to  the  fevers,  in 
every  instance  they  had  occurred  on  board 
vessels  just  arrived  from  St.  Jago  de  Cuba, 
Kingston,  Jamaica,  or  St.  Thomas.  Masters 
of  vessels  who  had  traded  there  for  twenty 
years,  assured  me  that  they  never  had  a  man 
sicken  while  lying  in  that  port,  but  that  they 
scarcely  ever  went  to  either  of  the  above 
named  places,  but  some  of  their  men 
had  severe  attacks  of  fever.  As  many  of 
the  vessels  trading  here  were  in  the  habit  of 
discharging  their  outward  cargoes  at  one  of 
those  places,  and  coming  directly  here  for 
homeward  freights,  the  frequent  cases  of 
fever  imported  from  thence  had  given  rise  to 
such  rumours  as  those  I  heard  at  St.  Croix, 
about  yellow  fever  prevailing  here.  So  ter- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  79 

rible  is  the  horror  of  this  disease,  especially 
at  the  north,  where  it  is  little  known,  that 
there  are  thousands  who  could  not  be  per- 
suaded to  go  to  a  place  where  it  was  ru- 
moured to  prevail,  on  any  consideration  ; 
supposing  death  would  be  almost  inevi- 
table. Whereas,  it  is  nothing  more  or  less 
than  a  severe  attack  of  bilious  fever  ;  and 
with  prompt  treatment,  is  cured  nine  cases 
out  of  ten.  Two  of  the  men  on  board  the 
vessel  I  came  in,  which  had  been  lying  some 
time  at  St.  Thomas,  had  attacks  on  the  pas- 
sage ;  and  for  want  of  a  physician,  I  bled, 
gave  emeticks,  and  cured  them.  The  inhab- 
itants of  Casilda,  one  and  all,  declared  that 
the  place  was  entirely  healthy. 

Two  or  three  days  after  my  arrival,  in 
company  with  a  fellow-passenger,  I  took  a 
catrina  (as  it  is  here  called,)  and  rode  to 
town.  It  was  nothing  more  nor  less,  in  plain 
English,  than  a  horse  and  gig,  with  a  negro 
boy  mounted  on  the  horse  as  a  substitute  for 
reins.  This  mode  of  riding  did  not  suit  us 
exactly,  the  negro  not  understanding  a  word 
of  English,  nor  we  of  Spanish,  leaving  us  en- 
tirely at  his  mercy,  as  to  where  and  how  he 
should  go.  My  companion  expressed  some 


80  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

concern  at  another  thing,  to  wit :  that  the 
horse  was  such  a  perfect  phantom  of  an  ani- 
mal, and  the  negro  so  small,  that  if  we  should 
happen  to  lean  back  in  our  seats,  the  whole 
concern  would  be  thrown  over  our  heads  in 
a  backward  somerset.  Our  fears  were  soon 
quieted,  for  away  we  went  upon  a  full  gal- 
lop, over  stones  a  foot  high,  and  holes  as  deep, 
for  four  miles,  all  the  way  up  hill,  and  arrived 
in  perfect  safety.  As  to  the  animal,  he  had 
been  gallopped  up  and  down  that  sandy  road, 
in  the  hot  sun,  so  long,  that  he  showed  no 
symptoms  of  fatigue,  and  appeared  no  more 
capable  of  perspiration  than  the  dry  sand  he 
travelled  over.  There  are  a  great  many  of 
these  catrinas  constantly  running  up  and 
down  for  passengers,  at  seventy-five  cents  a 
trip,  each  way,  for  two  or  one.  A  stage  also 
goes  once  or  twice  a  day,  each  way,  at  fifty 
cents  a  passenger.  The  road  is  wide  enough 
for  several  tracks,  so  as  to  admit  of  full 
speed  in  spite  of  the  ox-carts  strung  along 
the  way.  As  we  ascended  towards  the  city, 
with  its  neat  picturesque  view  before  us,  and 
the  exhilarating  mountain  breeze  absorbing 

o  £3 

perspiration  and  neutralizing  the  effect  of  a 
noon-day  sun,  I  could  not  help  thinking  of, 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  81 

and  feeling  too,  the  favourable  contrast  be- 
tween this  place  and  St.  Croix,  in  almost 
every  particular  that  concerns  an  invalid. 
Strike  out  the  good  roads,  English  language, 
and  boarding-houses  of  St.  Croix,  and  there 
would  be  nothing  left  that  would  bear  any 
comparison  with  Trinidad. 

On  entering  the  city,  my  first  favourable 
impressions  were  strongly  confirmed.  The 
streets  are  regular,  well  paved,  and  clean ; 
the  houses  generally  of  stone,  whitewashed 
outside,  tiled  roofs,  one  story  high,  with  brick 
or  stone  floors  laid  on  the  ground,  and  the 
wood-work  inside  of  red  cedar :  built  in  this 
manner,  they  are  cheap,  cool,  comfortable,  and 
almost  everlasting.  As  there  was  not  a  single 
person  in  the  place  I  had  ever  seen,  and  there 
were  no  American  boarding-houses,  I  felt 
some  apprehension  about  comfortable  quar- 
ters. I  had,  however,  a  letter  of  introduction 
from  the  Vice-Consul  at  St.  Croix  to  the  Con- 
sul at  Trinidad,  whomsoever  he  might  be, 
and  the  master  of  the  vessel  had  introduced 
me  to  the  consignee ;  and  with  these  aids  I 
went  on,  without  further  concern.  The 
Consul  received  me  very  politely,  and  invited 
me  to  dine  with  him,  and,  if  I  could  not  do 


82  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

better,  to  take  board  at  the  same  place  he  did, 
finding  a  room  elsewhere,  and  furnishing  it 
for  myself.  He  had  done  so  himself,  and  for- 
merly ate  at  a  Spanish  tavern,  of  which  there 
were  plenty,  supplying  two  meals  at  one  dol- 
lar per  day,  but  he  found  the  living  too  bad  to 
be  continued,  and  had  now,  together  with  three 
or  four  other  American  boarders,  hired  a  neigh- 
bour to  give  them  their  meals  in  the  best  room 
of  a  cigar  manufactory.  I  mention  these 
circumstances  to  show  that  style  of  living  was 
here  but  little  thought  of.  Many  of  the  first 
business  men  in  the  place  have  their  tables  set 
in  the  stores  or  shops,  always  taking  care, 
however,  to  have  something  good  to  eat  upon 
them,  which  is  not  always  the  case  at  the 
Spanish  taverns,  where  the  table  is  set  on 
speculation  at  fifty  cents  a  meal.  After  dining 
with  the  consul,  I  was  soon  made  acquainted 
with  all  the  Americans  in  the  place,  about 
fifteen  in  number,  also  with  several  Spanish 
merchants  and  planters,  who  spoke  English. 
Mr.  Lynn,  a  merchant,  formerly  of  Charleston, 
S.  C.,  ordered  my  baggage  sent  to  his  house, 
and  very  politely  invited  me  to  take  my  meals 
with  him  while  I  remained  in  town,  refusing 

i  O ' 

however,  to  receive  any  compensation  what- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  83 

ever.  His  wife  was  a  Spanish  lady,  and  of 
course  the  mode  of  living  was  Spanish ;  but  I 
must  say  it  suited  me  as  well  as  any  I  had 
ever  found :  a  cup  of  coffee,  without  milk,  in 
the  morning ;  breakfast,  with  coffee  and  milk, 
at  9  o'clock  A.  M.  ;  dinner  at  3  p.  M.,  with  sweet- 
meats for  dessert,  followed  by  coffee  and  cigars ; 
and  a  cup  of  chocolate,  &c.,  in  the  evening. 
The  market  supplies  plenty  of  good  beef,  pork, 
fowls,  wild  birds,  &c.  &c.,  with  plenty  of  good 
vegetables,  such  as  sweet  potatoes,  plantains, 
bananas,  cabbages,  turnips,  radishes,  &c.  &c. 
Indian  corn  flourishes  at  all  times  of  the  year, 
and  there  is  always  plenty  of  green  corn  in 
the  market.  The  domestic  rice  is  very  good, 
and  is  much  used.  There  are  generally  or- 
anges in  the  market,  but  not  in  abundance; 
pine-apples  in  their  season,  &c.  &c.  The 
river  water  is  extremely  good,  and,  on  the 
whole,  no  one  can  wish  a  better  living  than 
can  here  be  had ;  but  a  tavern  is  not  the  place 
to  look  for  it.  Whenever  invalids  have  been 
here,  they  have  generally  stopped  with  some 
of  the  few  American  families ;  and  many  have, 
no  doubt,  been  deterred  from  coming  from  an 
apprehension  of  being  a  burthen  to  those  who 
were  not  prepared  to  entertain  boarders,  and 


84  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

were  unwilling  to  receive  any  compensation 
from  those  who  were  taken  in,  because  they 
had  nowhere  else  to  go. 

As  to  climate,  no  place  can  offer  greater 
advantages  to  invalids  than  this.  For  nine 
months  in  the  year  no  such  thing  as  rain  is 
ever  known,  except,  perhaps,  sprinkles  of  two 
or  three  minutes,  and  those  like  angels'  visits, 
"  few  and  far  between."  Hence  the  dryness 
of  soil,  which  admits  of  laying  the  floors  on  the 
ground.  At  first  I  could  not  believe  it  possi- 
ble for  the  air  of  the  room  to  be  dry,  but  dur- 
ing a  fortnight  found  no  more  appearance  of 
moisture  in  the  air,  than  if  the  floor  had  been 
ten  feet  from  the  ground,  and  made  of  two 
thicknesses  of  kiln-dried  plank.  At  first  I 
kept  myself  in  during  the  evening,  supposing 
the  night  air  might  be  like  that  of  St.  Croix, 
but  soon  found  it  entirely  harmless.  Indeed, 
the  evening  was  much  pleasanter  than  the 
day  time,  for  it  was  always  warm  enough, 
and  never  too  warm.  The  entire  absence  of 
moisture  in  the  atmosphere  gives  a  clearness 
to  the  sky  and  a  brilliancy  to  the  moon-light, 
beyond  anything  I  ever  witnessed  else- 
where. It  is  a  common  practice  here  to  sit 
in  the  evening  uncovered  in  the  open  air,  a 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  85 

thing  that  would  very  properly  have  been 
looked  upon  as  madness  at  St.  Croix.  At 
times,  however,  the  north  wind  prevails 
with  sufficient  force  to  make  the  evenings  un- 
pleasant, and,  as  a  general  rule,  delicate  inva- 
lids had  better  not  expose  themselves  to  the 
evening  air,  except  in  the  mildest  weather. 
The  mountains,  though  near  enough  to  pre- 
vent excessive  heat,  are  too  far  distant  to 
cause  sudden  transitions  of  temperature.  The 
absence  of  moisture  in  the  atmosphere  may 
not  prove  beneficial  to  all  classes  of  invalids ; 
but  as  the  evaporation  from  the  ocean,  in  some 
degree,  obviates  the  deficiency  of  rain,  it  is 
believed  that  very  few  cases  would  suffer 
from  the  dryness  of  the  air.  In  affections  of 
the  mucus  membranes,  with  copious  expecto- 
ration, this  climate  will  prove  highly  benefi- 
cial. The  absence  of  humidity  is  one  of  the 
most  essential  requisites  of  a  good  climate.  I 
fully  concur  in  the  following  remarks  from 
Clark  on  Climate  and  Diseases,  p.  121  : 

"  Of  all  the  physical  qualities  of  the  air, 
humidity  is  the  most  injurious  to  human 
life ;  and,  therefore,  in  selecting  situations  for 
building,  particular  regard  should  be  had  to 
the  circumstances  which  are  calculated  to 


86  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

obviate  humidity  either  in  the  soil  or  atmos- 
phere. Diyness,  with  a  free  circulation  of 
air  and  a  full  exposure  to  the  sun,  are  the 
material  things  to  be  attended  to  in  choosing 
a  residence.  A  person  may,  I  believe,  sleep 
with  perfect  safety  in  the  centre  of  the  Pon- 
tine  marshes,  by  having  his  room  kept  well 
heated  by  a  fire  during  the  night." 

In  the  day  time,  although  the  sun  shines  very 
bright,  there  is  always  breeze  enough  coming 
down  from  the  mountains  to  prevent  the  heat 
being  oppressive,  and,  occasionally,  dry  floating 
clouds  cast  a  pleasant  shade  over  the  land.  I 
could  endure  five  times  the  exercise  during 
the  day  that  I  could  at  St.  Croix,  and  with 
less  fatigue.  Umbrellas  were  of  course  out  of 
fashion  here,  the  showers  being  none,  and  the 
sun's  rays  in  winter  at  least  harmless.  It  was 
a  long  time  before  I  could  trust  myself  abroad 
without  my  umbrella  when  clouds  were  in 
sight,  which  was  very  often  ;  but  finding-  they 
never  leaked  like  those  of  St.  Croix,  I  soon 
went  where  I  pleased,  without  overcoat,  cloak, 
thick  boots,  or  umbrella,  and  "saw  the  sun 
set,  sure  he  would  rise  to-morrow."  Twice  it 
sprinkled  enough  just  to  lay  the  dust,  and 
that  was  all  the  rain  during  more  than  two 


WEST    13\7DIES    AND    FLORIDA.  87 

weeks.  In  July,  August,  and  September,  the 
rainy  season,  as  it  is  called,  showers  are  fre- 
quent, the  ground  is  more  moist,  and  fevers 
are  somewhat  prevalent,  but  there  is  no  great 
danger,  without  unnecessary  exposure  to  the 
sun.  As  to  heat,  it  is  not  an  evil  much  to  be 
apprehended,  for  it  was  remarked  by  the  in- 
habitants, and  I  believe  very  correctly,  that 
there  was  no  time  in  the  year  when  one  could 
not  be  cool  enough  in  the  shade,  or  warm 
enough  in  the  sunshine.  The  thermometer 
generally  ranges  from  75°  to  80°  during  the 
day  in  winter,  and  from  80°  to  85°  in  the 
summer.  There  are  none  of  those  extremes 
of  heat  which  we  experience  at  the  north ; 
and  if  at  any  time  it  should  be  found  too 
warm  within  two  hours'  ride  up  the  moun- 
tains, woollen  clothing  by  day,  and  thick 
blankets  at  night,  are  necessary  protections 
against  the  cold.  The  winds  are  variable, 
generally  blowing  from  all  points  of  the  com- 
pass during  every  twenty-four  hours,  with 
a  gentle  land  breeze  from  the  north  at  morn- 
ing and  evening.  This  is  very  pleasant ;  but 
at  times  north  winds  prevail  for  two  or  three 
days  in  succession,  making  the  Spaniards 
shiver,  and  put  on  cloaks  at  morning  and  eve- 


OO  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

ning.  They  are  nothing,  however,  like  what 
are  called  northers  at  Havana,  Matanzas,  and 
all-  along  the  north  side  of  the  island,  there 
being  sixty  to  seventy  miles  of  high  moun- 
tainous land  to  break  their  force  and  mode- 
rate their  temperature.  About  the  25th  of 
February,  I  witnessed  some  of  the  coldest 
weather  that  had  happened,  as  I  was  in- 
formed, in  several  years ;  and  although  the 
air  felt  cool  enough  to  be  a  little  unpleasant 
at  morning  and  evening,  it  did  not  affect  me 
as  unfavourably  as  the  worst  weather  in  Janu- 
ary did  at  St.  Croix,  for  I  had  not  a  single 
breath  of  asthma,  nor  an  appearance  of  cough, 
while  I  remained  there.  I  ate  heartily,  slept 
soundly,  and  increased  in  flesh  and  strength 
during  the  whole  time,  and  never  passed  a 
fortnight  as  pleasantly  in  a  strange  place 
before. 

The  kindness  and  politeness  of  my  country- 
men and  their  Spanish  friends,  no  doubt  con- 
tributed greatly  to  my  happiness  ;  but  the  sur- 
passing excellence  of  the  climate  was  more 
important  than  every  thing  else.  There  was 
but  a  single  cause  of  uneasiness  during  the 
whole  time,  and  that  was  the  refusal  of  the 
governor  to  give  me  a  passport  for  Havana3  or 


WEST    INDIES    AND   FLORIDA.  89 

let  me  go  in  any  way,  except  to  embark  in  the 
same  vessel  that  brought  me.  As  in  that  case 
I  should  be  carried  into  Philadelphia  in 
March,  the  very  worst  month  in  the  whole 
year,  it  did  not  please  me  much.  Several  of 
my  friends  interceded,  but  with  no  effect,  the 
governor  insisting  that  his  instructions  were 
absolute,  to  let  no  one  pass  without  a  passport 
certified  by  a  Spanish  consul  in  the  country 
where  it  was  obtained,  specifying  the  object 
in  visiting  the  island.  As  I  had  only  a  Dan- 
ish passport,  not  certified  at  all,  he  thought  it 
impossible  to  oblige  me  without  disobeying 
his  instructions.  Finally,  Count  Brunet,  a 
nobleman  more  by  nature  and  feeling  than 
on  account  of  his  Spanish  titles,  or  his  income 
of  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  a  year,  called 
personally  upon  his  excellency  the  Governor, 
and  persuaded  him  to  make  my  case  an  ex- 
ception, on  the  ground  that  there  was  no 
Spanish  consul  at  St.  Croix  by  whom  a  pass- 
port could  be  certified,,  and  I  was  not  immedi- 
ately from  my  own  country.  This  had  the 
desired  effect ;  but  still  it  must  appear  to  be 
done  through  some  other  influence.  So  I 
only  had  to  go  through  the  form  of  getting  a 
communication  from  our  consul  to  the  go- 


90  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

rernor,  stating  the  case,  and  getting  the  same 
interpreted,  when  I  was  once  more  free  to  go 
where  I  pleased.  I  mention  this  for  two  pur- 
poses. First,  to  apprise  others  of  the  import- 
ance of  having  their  passports  regular  when 
going  to  a  foreign  country  ;  and  secondly,  as 
a  public  acknowledgment  of  my  obligations  to 
Count  Brtmet.  How  different  was  his  con- 
duct from  what  thousands  of  our  citizens, 
who  think  their  wealth  and  distinction  exempt 
them  from  such  acts  of  courtesy,  would  have 
been  under  like  circumstances.  This  is  not 
an  isolated  case ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  seldom 
does  an  American  visit  Trinidad  without  in 
some  way  or  other  finding  occasion  to  acknow- 
ledge his  obligations  to  the  same  distinguished 
individual.  It  is  the  more  striking,  from  the 
fact,  that  another  distinguished  individual 
of  the  same  place,  with  not  only  sufficient 
wealth  to  build  him  the  best  house  in  the 
island,  but  also  to  purchase  a  pitiful  title  from 
the  government  of  Spain,  although  an  Ameri- 
can by  birth,  sets  himself  above  his  country- 
men, and  never,  or  seldom,  takes  the  trouble 
to  ascertain  whether  they  are  in  want  of  his 
aid  or  not. 

On  the  day  of  my  arrival,  a  famous  mur- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  91 

derer  had  been  executed  upon  the  garotid,  a 
sort  of  machine  to  choke  criminals  to  death 
without  suspending  them  in  the  air.  The 
culprit  sits  down  in  a  chair,  puts  his  head 
back  against  a  support  prepared  for  it,  a  ne- 
gro then  puts  on  a  kind  of  neck-yoke,  fetches 
it  up  snug  to  the  throat,  and  when  the  ap- 
pointed hour  arrives,  turns  a  screw  behind, 
which  produces  instantaneous  death.  From 
the  great  excitement  produced  by  this  execu- 
tion, it  was  apparent  that  capital  crimes  were 
not  very  frequent.  No  one  expressed  any 
sympathy  for  the  culprit ;  but,  on  the  contra- 
ry, many  regretted  that  so  great  a  villain 
should  escape  with  so  little  punishment.  Ac- 
cording to  his  own  confession,  he  had  com- 
mitted twenty-eight  murders ;  and  instead  of 
showing  any  signs  of  penitence,  regretted,  in 
his  last  moments,  that  he  had  not  an  oppor- 
tunity to  commit  more.  He  said  that  all  the 
tortures  that  could  be  inflicted  upon  him 
could  not  equal  those  which  he  had  inflicted 
upon  others  ;  that  he  had  always  expected  to- 
be  executed  at  last,  and  meant  now  to  meet 
his  fate  with  fortitude.  When  the  fatal. hour 
arrived,  he  sat  composedly  down,  got  up,  said" 
the  seat  was  too  low,  had  it  raised,,  and  sat 


92  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

down  again  with  perfect  composure.  After 
the  execution  the  head  was  cut  off,  carried 
away  in  a  sack,  and  the  body  taken  away  on 
a  cart.  The  head  was  afterwards  put  on  a 
pole,  in  a  kind  of  cage,  by  the  way-side,  as  a 
terror  to  evil-doers.  Such  exhibitions  make 
a  lasting  impression  upon  the  public  mind, 
and,  when  not  too  frequent,  produce  a  salu- 
tary effect ;  but  when  too  often  repeated,  in- 
stead of  deterring  from  crime,  only  tend  to 
make  men  cruel  and  ferocious.  On  my 
arrival,  I  anticipated  much  pleasure  in 
riding  over  the  elevated  mountains  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  city  ;  but  soon  found  the 
task  not  quite  so  pleasant.  I  at  first  made 
the  experiment  of  aseending  what  appeared  to 
be  a  small  hill,  just  in  the  rear  of  the  city,  and 
some  miles  from  the  foot  of  the  mountain. 
Although  a  mere  trifle  compared  with  its 
neighbors,  it  was  more  than  five  hundred  feet 
high,  and  two  or  three  hours'  ride  was  neces- 
sary to  visit  its  summit  and  return  again-. 
The  ascent  was  by  a  rugged  path,  winding 
about  among  the  rocks,  so  steep  in  many 
places  that  an  inexperienced  animal  could  not 
have  made  his  way ;  but  the  little  pony  I 
rode  went  up  as  nimbly  as  a  cat,  and  showed 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  93 

no  signs  of  fatigue.  Near  the  summit  I  ob- 
served arch-ways,  or  caves,  under  strata  of 
limestone,  apparently  worn  as  by  the  wash- 
ing of  the  sea ;  and  found,  on  examination, 
incontestible  evidence  that  the  same  had  once 
formed  the  shore  of  the  ocean.  The  arch- 
ways had  been  worn  by  the  beating  of  the 
surges ;  and  the  gravelly  shore,  with  marine 
shells  scattered  along  beneath,  left  no  room 
for  doubt  as  to  the  fact,  that  these  mighty 
masses  of  rocks  had  been  thrown  up  to  their 
present  elevation  by  volcanic  eruptions,  or 
other  convulsions  of  Nature.  Leaving  the 
caves,  I  proceeded  onward  to  the  summit, 
and  gazed  in  silent  admiration  upon  the  beauty 
and  grandeur  of  the  surrounding  scenes.  On 
the  east,  the  rich  cane-fields  were  spread  out 
in  the  distance  ;  on  the  north,  a  beautiful  river 
wound  along  between  the  hills  hundreds 
of  feet  below  ;  in  the  rear,  lofty  mountains 
rose  majestically  to  the  clouds ;  and  on  the 
south,  the  city,  the  harbour,  the  shipping,  and 
the  vast  expanse  of  blue  waters,  presented  a 
scene  of  mingled  beauty  and  sublimity. 
However  highly  pleased  with  this  experi- 
ment, it  was  enough  to  convince  me  of  the 
utter  impracticability  of  ascending  the  moun- 


94  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

tains,  without  going  prepared  to  camp  out 
over-night,  which  would  not  be  very  pleasant 
in  the  winter-season.  Many  of  the  higher 
ridges  are  almost  inaccessible ;  but  along  the 
valleys  between  them,  several  hundred  feet 
above  the  level  of  the  ocean,  there  are  tolera- 
ble roads.  The  country  is  settled,  and 
abounds  with  fine  coffee  estates. 

Mr.  Carrot,  a  wealthy  merchant,  and  plant- 
er, invited  three  or  four  Americans  to  visit 
his  estate,  situate  in  the  great  valley  of  Trini- 
dad, about  fifteen  miles  to  the  eastward  of  the 
city ;  and,  mounted  on  horseback,  with  his 
clerk  for  a  conductor,  at  about  4  o'clock,  p.  M., 
we  pushed  off  into  the  country. 

A  ride  of  about  three  miles  over  a  sandy 
soil,  covered  with  wild  bushes,  and  a  poor 
road,  winding  along  just  where  it  could  be 
made  easiest,  or  rather,  just  where  the  first 
travellers  chose  to  go,  (for  that  is  the  way  it 
was  made,)  we  arrived  at  the  first  sugar 
estate  I  had  seen  in  Trinidad,  the  soil 
near  the  city  not  being  of  a  suitable  quality. 
For  twelve  miles  through  the  great  valley  of 
the  province,  we  found  almost  one  continuous 
growth  of  cane,  with  the  road  generally  run- 
ning along  the  boundaries  of  estates,  with  no 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  95 

fences  between  :  several  estates  together  with 
the  road  itself,  however,  being  fenced  into 
large  enclosures,  with  gates  here  and  there, 
and  a  negro  standing  by  to  open  and  shut 
them.  There  were  plenty  of  palm  and 
cocoa-nut  trees,  of  natural  growth,  about 
the  country,  but  very  few  set  out  in  regular 
columns,  like  those  of  St.  Croix.  The  estate 
of  Mr.  C.  was  situate  on  the  east  bank  of  the 
Manati  river,  which  runs  through  the  valley, 
emptying  into  the  ocean  about  fifteen  miles  to 
the  windward,  or  easterly  of  the  city.  The 
stream  was  now  low  and  clear,  but  its  high 
arid  torn  banks  showed  plainly  that  in  the 
rainy  season,  instead  of  a  slumbering  infant,  it 
was  a  raging  monster,  tearing  everything  be- 
fore it  in  its  resistless  progress.  A  splendid 
mansion  was  standing  on  the  bank,  several  feet 
above  high  water  mark,  giving  it  a  command- 
ing: view  of  the  surrounding  scenery.  With- 

o  o  - 

out  observing  it  much  by  moonlight,  however, 
we  all  felt  more  inclined  for  supper  than  any- 
thing else,  and  accordingly  entered  the  man- 
sion, which  had  been  closed,  but  which  the 
clerk  was  sent  to  open  for  our  accommoda- 
tion. All  the  rooms  and  supplies  the  house 
afforded  were  made  free  to  us,  and  we  fared 


96  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

sumptuously  and  slept  soundly.  The  next 
morning,  at  daylight,  we  took  a  view  of  as 
rich  a  scene  as  was  ever  spread  out  by 
nature  and  art  combined.  The  deep  rich 
green  of  the  cane  on  every  side ;  the  palm 
trees  wildly  spread  over  the  whole ;  the 
fine  mansions  of  the  planters  and  the  smoke 
of  those  Yankee  improvements,  the  steam  en- 
gines, with  which  the  cane  is  now  ground  ; 
with  a  beautiful  river  winding  its  way  quietly 
along  the  centre ;  while  on  the  north,  east, 
and  west,  majestic  mountains,  with  cragged 
peaks,  towered  aloft  to  the  very  skies,  con- 
spired to  form  a  scene  of  surpassing  beauty,  as 
well  as  grandeur  and  sublimity. 

From  this  extended  view,  we  entered  the 
garden  to  witness  not  lesser  beauties,  but 
beauties  on  a  smaller  scale.  It  abounded  in 
all  the  West  India  fruits  and  flowers,  and 
was  laid  out  in  American  style,  Mrs.  C.  be- 
ing an  American  lady.  In  addition  to  all 
that  was  tasty  and  elegant,  a  part  of  it  was 
devoted  to  the  production  of  the  useful,  as 
well  as  elegant  vegetables  of  the  north  :  toma- 
toes, cabbages,  turnips,  radishes,  onions, 
beets,  carrots,  &c.,  &c.  To  find  oneself  in  a 
rich  beautiful  garden  like  this,  with  a  bright 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  97 

sun  and  clear  sky  to  heighten  its  beauty,  and 
then  reflect,  that  at  the  same  moment  the  in- 
habitants of  New- York  were  gathered  round 
a  coal  fire,  or,  wrapped  in  overcoats  and 
cloaks,  hastening,  half  frozen  through  the 
streets,  too  fast  to  recognize  their  friends,  was 
enough  of  itself  to  compensate  for  a  voyage 
to  the  West  Indies,  with  all  its  horrors  of  sea- 
sickness. 

From  the  garden  we  went  to  the  sugar- 
works,  which  were  on  a  scale  rather  larger 
than  those  of  St.  Croix.  The  estate  con- 
sisted of  two  thousand  acres  of  land,  and  was 
worked  by  two  hundred  slaves.  Slavery 
appeared  here  rather  more  severe  than  at  St. 
Croix,  for  some  of  the  slaves  had  chains 
around  their  necks,  and  the  marks  of  the  lash 
upon  their  backs.  Windmills  were  not  re- 
lied upon  for  grinding  cane,  as  at  St.  Croix ; 
and  the  mills  upon  this  estate  were  propelled 
by  oxen,  of  which  eighty  pair  were  kept  for 
this  and  other  purposes.  Clayed  sugar  only 
was  manufactured  here,  whereas  nothing  but 
muscovado  was  made  at  St.  Croix.  Instead 
of  putting  it  in  hogsheads  to  drain,  it  is  put 
in  earthern  jars,  called  purging  pans,  taper- 
ing to  a  point,  with  a  small  hole  in  the  bot- 
9 


98  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

torn.  After  the  molasses  has  drained  out,  in 
part,  a  layer  of  clay  is  put  over  the  surface, 
which  purges  the  sugar  of  impurities,  and 
divides  it  into  different  qualities:  first,  a  layer 
of  very  fine  white,  then  a  layer  of  good,  and 
at  the  bottom  a  residue  of  inferior  brown 
sugar.  The  molasses  is  caught  from  these 
pans,  and  conducted  to  a  reservoir,  from 
whence  it  is  pumped  up  when  wanted. 
Three  thousand  purging  pans  were  used  at 
this  establishment:  and  in  sugar  and  molas- 
ses, the  estate  produced  about  seventy-five 
thousand  dollars  per  annum.  The  neigh- 
bouring estates  were  about  as  large,  and 
many  of  them  were  worked  by  steam  engines 
to  great  advantage.  The  use  of  them  will 
soon  become  general.  The  Spaniards,  how- 
ever, are  slow  to  adopt  improvements.  All 
the  cedar  boards  for  building  are  sawed  by 
hand,  no  one  daring  to  try  the  experiment  of 
a  steam  saw-mill.  All  the  sugar  and  molas- 
ses from  this  great  valley  are  first  carried  to 
the  river  on  ox-carts,  then  taken  down  the 
river,  and  along  the  coast,  to  Casilda,  in 
lighters.  When  the  wind  blows  from  the 
north,  the  lighters  cannot  get  up  the  river  on 
account  of  shoal  water,  and  thus  vessels  are 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  99 

sometimes  detained  a  month  before  getting  a 
cargo.  A  railroad  of  twenty  miles  would  take 
the  whole  to  the  port  with  the  greatest  speed, 
going  through  the  city,  and  thus  furnishing  a 
communication  between  the  city  and  Casilda. 
But  that  would  be  too  much  of  a  Yankee 
notion  to  suit  the  Spaniards.  They  are  so 
much  opposed  to  improvements,  that  when 
Mr.  C.  improved  the  road  along  his  estate  by 
making  it  straight  where  it  hud  been  crooked, 
they  tried  to  get  the  old  road  restored,  alleging 
that  it  was  shorter  than  the  new  one. 

After  passing  the  day  very  pleasantly,  in 
the  evening  we  mounted  our  horses  and  went 
to  town  again,  without  overcoat  or  even  wool- 
len clothing.  I  could  here  ride  fifteen  miles 
in  the  evening  with  perfect  impunity.  Asth- 
ma and  cough  for  a  week  afterwards  would 
have  been  sure  to  follow  in  any  other  climate 
I  have  ever  found. 

On  the  22d  of  February,  the  birth-day  of 
Washington,  about  fifteen  Americans,  with 
four  or  five  distinguished  Spanish  gentlemen 
as  invited  guests,  partook  of  a  sumptuous 
public  dinner  provided  for  the  occasion.  In 
a  foreign  land  it  was  highly  gratifying  to 
meet  even  a  small  party  of  our  countrymen, 


100  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

with  the  flag  of  our  country  floating  above, 
and  our  hearts  beating  with  patriotism  with- 
in, assembled  to  pay  a  tribute  of  respect,  not 
to  a  king  or  tyrant,  but  to  the  memory  of  an 
individual  with  no  title  but  that  of  "  Father 
of  his  Country."  We  were  all  doubly  grati- 
fied to  find  that  the  band  of  music  employed 
for  the  occasion  could  regale  us  with  "Hail 
Columbia,"  and  other  national  airs.  The  day 
was  delightful,  as  were  all  the  clays  I  passed 
at  Trinidad,  and  every  thing  passed  off  finely. 
Several  spirited  volunteer  toasts  were  drank t 
among  which  were  the  following : — 

"The  Great  Man  whose  birth  we  cele- 
brate— His  body  moulders  in  the  dust,  but 
his  spirit  is  abroad  in  the  world,  and  its 
impulse  will  be  felt  to  the  end  of  time." 

"America,  the  Light-House  of  the  World — 
May  its  rays  penetrate  the  darkest  regions. 
and  conduct  the  most  benighted  nations  to 
the  grand  harbour  of  republicanism." 

"The  American  Flag — It  is  found  waving 
in  every  port  on  earth,  and  respected  wher- 
ever found." 

"Americans  abroad — May  they  always 
find  friends,  and  always  deserve  them." 

"  The  State  of  Virginia — The  birth-place 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.          101 

of  Washington,  Jefferson,  and  Madison,  three 
most  illustrious  men  of  an  illustrious  age." 

"  The  United  States  of  America,  a  Con- 
stellation of  Bright  Stars  of  various  aspects, 
but  equal  lustre — May  they  rival  those  of 
heaven  in  perpetuity  as  they  do  in  brilliancy/' 

More  might  be  given,  but  these  are  suffi- 
cient to  show  the  prevailing  feeling.  It  was 
amusing  to  witness  the  surprise  of  some  igno- 
rant Spaniards  that  so  great  a  parade  should 
be  made  about  any  body  but  "the  king." 

The  time  for  my  departure  was  draw- 
ing near,  and  never  did  I  leave  a  place 
with  so  much  regret.  My  health  had 
constantly  improved,  and  although  I  had 
experienced  some  of  the  severest  weather 
that  had  happened  for  several  years,  there 
had  been  scarcely  an  hour  when  I 
could  say  it  was  too  cold.  From  observa- 
tion and  experience^  as  well  as  from  the 
natural  causes  above  detailed,  I  cannot  en- 
tertain a  doubt  that  it  is  a  better  place  for 
invalids  than  I  have  ever  seen  or  read  of. 
In  point  of  climate,  it  is  as  far  superior  to  St. 
Croixv  as  good  champaigne  is  to  bad  cider. 
Good  medical  attendance  can  always  be  pro- 
cured, at  moderate  charges.  There  are  seve- 
9* 


102  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

ral  good  physicians,  one  of  whom,  Dr.  Can- 
taro,  was  educated  in  our  country,  and  of 
course  speaks  English,  as  well  as  Spanish. 
The  usual  charge  is  one  dollar  a  visit  in  the 
city.  But  like  all  other  places,  it  has  its 
faults  ;  and  it  was  often  remarked,  that  though 
the  climate  was  as  good  as  could  be,  there 
was  scarcely  any  thing  but.  that  to  make  a 
residence  there  desirable.  The  Creoles  of  the 
place  are  a  lazy,  idle  class  of  men,  who  are 
content  to  have  nothing,  except  what  comes 
without  exertion,  and  are  opposed  to  all  kinds 
of  improvements  and  innovations.  No  pains 
are  taken  to  cultivate  fruit,  &c.  &c.,  but  if  any- 
thing grows,  it  is  pretty  much  spontaneous. 
There  are  no  boarding-houses,  except  Span- 
ish taverns,  which  would  not  suit  Americans, 
and  not  a  Spaniard  can  be  found  who  would 
deviate  from  the  beaten  tract  for  any  hire. 
The  roads  out  of  the  city  are  rather  bad, 
though  passable  ;  and  though  there  are  plenty 
of  horses  and  carriages  to  be  let,  the  hire  is 
high,  being  two  dollars  a  day  for  a  saddle 
horse,  and  about  five  for  a  catrina,  or  horse 
and  gig.  If  some  American  would  under- 
take to  open  a  house  for  invalids,  he  would 
do  well ;  and  besides,  it  would  obviate  more 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  103 

than  half  the  objections  to  their  going  there. 
Horses  are  cheap,  and  he  could  keep  enough 
for  his  own  boarding-house  ;  rent  is  cheap 
also  ;  and  on  the  whole,  notwithstanding  the 

/  /  ^ 

high  price  of  flour,  there  being  ten  dollars  the 
barrel  duty,  I  have  no  doubt,  good  board  can 
be  supplied  at  ten  dollars  per  week,  and  a 
profit  made  at  that.     Indeed,  an  invalid  can 
hire  his  own  room,  and  take  his  meals  at  a 
tavern,  at  about  the  same  rate,  but  his  living 
will  not  be  as  good.     The  best  way  is  for 
several  to  combine,  hire  a  house  and  servants, 
and  live  in  their  own  way ;  taking  with  them 
such  articles  of  furniture,  &c.  &c.  as  they  may 
need,  upon  which  no  duties  will  be   asked. 
A  carriage  cannot  be  brought  however  with- 
out a  high  duty  ;  horses  can  be  bought  cheap, 
say  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  dollars,  and 
the  keeping  is  only  about  two  dollars  and  a 
quarter  per  week ;   on   the  whole,   it   is   my 
choice  in  preference  to  all  other  places.     The 
Spanish  language  is  something  of  an  objection, 
but  not  very  serious,  where  there  are- thirty  or 
forty  inhabitants  who  speak  English  *  to  some 
it  may  be  an  advantage,  for  they  can  learn  the 
language  when  they  would   otherwise  have 
done  nothing  at  alL    As  to  the  fear  of  robbery 


104  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

and  jealousy  of  the  Spaniards,  there  is  nothing 
in  it.  They  are  dark  complexioned,  but  not 
a  whit  the  worse  for  that.  When  I  first  went 
there,  my  apprehensions  were  great;  I  looked 
at  every  body  and  every  thing  with  a  suspi- 
cious eye,  and  never  went  out  without  being 
armed.  But  after  ascertaining  how  much 
more  strictly  the  laws  are  enforced,  than  in  our 
own  country ;  wandering  about  among  a  pop- 
ulation of  ten  thousand  for  a  fortnight  without 
observing  an  assault  and  battery,  row,  or  riot, 
or  even  so  much  as  a  drunken  man,  along  the 
streets ;  learning  that  crimes  were  more  rare 
than  any  where  in  our  country :  and  what  was 
more  than  all,  finding  every  Spaniard  evincing 
five  times  the  kindness  and  politeness  to  an 
American,  that  we  would  generally  extend  to 
a  Spaniard,  I  must  confess  that  my  apprehen- 
sions were  altogether  unfounded.  Travellers 
in  the  country,  generally,  go  armed,  not  for 
fear  of  robbers,  but  to  keep  the  slaves  in  awe  : 
a  very  prudent  precaution,  where  they  are  so 
much  more  numerous  than  the  whites.  In 
one  week,  I  felt  as  safe  as  though  I  had  a  body- 
guard constantly  in  attendance..  Every  one 
who  has  tried  it,  will  say  the  same  thing.  But 
still,  we  do  not  Like  the  Spanish  Government. 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  105 

If  Cuba  belonged  to  our  Government,  its  pop- 
ulation would  double  in  two  years,  and 
quadruple  in  less  than  five,  for  no  place  on 
earth  enjoys  a  finer  climate  than  some  parts 
of  it,  or  greater  natural  resources, 


106  A    WINTER    IN    THE 


CHAPTER   IX. 

Voyage,  &c.,  to  Batabanno  and  Havana. 

A  STEAMBOAT  runs  from  St.  Ja^o  de  Cuba  to 

O 

Batabanno,  opposite  Havana,  and  back  again, 
once  a  month,  touching  at  all  the  principal 
intermediate  places.  The  passage  from  Trin- 
idad to  Batabanno  is  twenty  dollars ;  but 
being  out  of  time,  I  took  a  Spanish  packet- 
schooner,  a  regular  coaster  also,  sailed  on  the 
sixth  of  March,  and  arrived  at  the  port  of  des- 
tination after  a  pleasant  passage  of  two  days. 
It  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  embarked  on 
board  a  foreign  vessel ;  and  it  seemed  odd 
enough  to  find  a  schooner  of  one  hundred 
tons  manned  with  a  full  crew  of  ten  men  ; 
whereas  an  American  ship  of  seven  hundred 
tons  would  be  managed  by  the  same  number, 
and  such  a  schooner  by  four  men.  No  won- 
der our  vessels  can  underbid  all  the  world  in 
carrying  freight,  with  such  a  great  saving  of 
labor.  The  change  of  climate,  though  not  of 
temperature,  was  perceptible  immediately 
on  going  ashore  —  the  ground  being  low  and 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  107 

swampy,  and  the  atmosphere  humid  and  ap- 
parently unwholesome.     It  is,   in  truth,   so 
bad,  that  the  village  of  Batabanno  is   loca- 
ted three  miles  from  the  coast,  on  dry  land, 
but  still  only  a  few  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
swamp.     Mules  and  horses  were  soon  provi- 
ded to  take  the  passengers  and  baggage,  a  dis- 
tance of  about  twelve  miles,  to  the  railroad 
leading  to  Havana.     After  leaving  the  swamp, 
we  found  a  rich  level  soil,  with  abundance  of 
oranges  and  other  fruits  ;  but  every  thing  in- 
dicated a  great  superabundance  of  moisture. 
Water  was   every  where  found  by  digging 
four  feet,  and  the  rank  growth  of  vegetation 
plainly  indicated  the  frequency  of  rain.     Our 
ride,  however,  was  pleasant  in  the  extreme. 
Even  the  wild  forests  abounded  with  oranges, 
as  beautiful,  but  not  as  sweet,  as  the  cultiva- 
ted fruit.     We  passed  several  beautiful  coffee 
estates  in  full  bloom,  surpassing  in  beauty 
any  other  plantations  I  had  ever  seen.     It 
takes  the  coifee  tree  three  years  to  produce 
the  first  crop.     The  leaves  are  bright  green, 
resembling  in  colour  those  of  the  orange,  but 
the  trees  are  not  allowed  to  grow  over  about 
three  or  four  feet  high,  the  tops  being  cut  off 
from  time  to  time  to  keep  them  on  a  proper 


108  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

level.  This  uniformity  of  height,  the  regu- 
larity of  the  rows,  the  beautiful  white  blos- 
soms, and  the  heavy  growth  of  plantains 
towering  above  for  the  purpose  of  shade, 
give  a  coffee  estate  a  remarkably  fine 
appearance.  Many  of  them  are  adorned 
also  with  fine  ornamental  gardens  and  ele- 
gant buildings. 

In  a  few  hours  I  was  at  the  railroad  depot, 
thirty  miles  from  Havana,  and  felt  once  more 
like  being  at  home.  I  had  not  heard  a  word 
of  English  for  several  days,  and  it  did  me 
good,  in  the  absence  of  our  language,  to  come 
in  contact  with  an  improvement  that  might 
well  be  called  our  own,  for  this  very  work 
has  been  planned  and  constructed  so  far  by 
American  skill,  the  superintendents,  engi- 
neers, &c.,  &c.,  being  all  Americans.  A 
branch  of  this  road  is  to  be  continued  to  Ba- 
tabanno,  which  will  make  a  communication 
by  steam,  from  Havana  to  Trinidad,  at  about 
twenty-five  dollars  expense.  There  is  only  an 
ascent  and  descent  of  about  one  hundred 
feet  in  crossing  the  island,  and  the  general 
appearance  of  the  soil  and  surface  of  the 
country  is  not  unlike  western  New- York  in 
the  summer  season.  The  country  along  the 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  109 

railroad  is  principally  devoted  to  the  culture  of 
vegetables  for  the  Havana  market,  and  ap- 
pears much  like  the  vicinity  of  one  of  our 
own  cities.  Every  thing  looked  rich  and 
productive ;  the  soil  and  atmosphere  were 
both  damp,  and,  as  I  was  wafted  along  at  fif- 
teen miles  per  hour,  I  could  hardly  resist  the 
impression  that  I  was  passing  through  a  part 
of  my  own  State.  However  rich  this  coun- 
try, it  did  not  require  a  moment's  observation 
to  see  that  it  was  an  unfit  place  for  invalids. 
Before  arriving  at  Havana,  the  cold  had  in- 
creased to  such  an  extent  as  to  make  it 
necessary  to  shut  the  windows  of  the  cars, 
whereas,  but  two  hours  before,  every  one  was 
complaining  of  the  heat.  On  arriving,  the 
first  business  was  to  put  on  woollen  clothing, 
and  thick  boots ;  which  fairly  prepared  me 
to  sally  forth  and  see  the  city. 


10 


110  A    WINTER    IN    THE 


CHAPTER   X. 

Havana. 

HERE  were  invalids  in  abundance,  shivering 

»  o 

with  cold  on  the  10th  of  March,  and  without 
exception,  as  far  as  my  limited  observation 
extended,  complaining  of  the  climate.  From 
inhabitants  and  visitors,  I  could  hear  of 
nothing  but  northers,  which  had  been  blow- 
ing nearly  half  the  time,  as  they  said,  during 
the  winter.  The  general  moisture  of  the 
high  upland  soil  in  the  vicinity,  as  well  as 
the  mud-puddles  along  the  streets  of  the  city, 
showed  that  there  had  been  abundance  of 
rain  here,  while  it  was  entirely  dry  at  Trini- 
dad. Besides  this,  a  damp,  clammy  atmos- 
phere, a  cold  cloudy  sky,  with  a  vinegar  as- 
pect, confirmed  me  entirely  in  the  opinion 
before  formed  from  information,  that  the 
northerly  side  of  Cuba,  open  to  the  full  sweep 
of  winds  from  the  United  States,  and  the  At- 
lantic on  the  north,  was  at  best  an  ill-chosen 
resort  for  invalids,  compared  with  those  above 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  Ill 

described.  The  city  is  finely  situated  on 
high  ground,  with  one  of  the  best  protected, 
and,  in  other  respects,  best  harbours  in  the 
world.  It  is  strongly  fortified,  entrenched, 
and  walled,  presenting  the  general  appear- 
ance of  a  European  city.  The  antique 
and  venerable  looking  churches,  convents, 
prisons,  forts,  &c.,  give  to  this  city  an  ap- 
pearance of  age  and  respectability  unequal- 
led by  any  other  in  America.  The  streets, 
however,  are  very  narrow,  simply  wide 
enough  for  two  carriages  to  pass,  without 
sidewalks,  and  crowded  with  carriages  and 
carts,  besides  multitudes  on  foot,  of  every 
shape,  colour,  and  variety  of  the  human 
species,  from  the  most  potent  Spanish  na- 
bob to  the  most  miserable  mulattoes  and 
slaves.  The  buildings  are  generally  built 
of  stone  and  mortar,  from  two  to  four 
stories  high.  The  streets  are  generally 
filthy  ;  and,  with  a  little  lime-gas  from 
the  walls  and  effluvia  from  the  streets,  the 
atmosphere  appeared  to  me  much  better  cal- 
culated to  produce  yellow  fever  than  to 
restore  diseased  lungs,  or  otherwise  produce 
benefit  to  any  class  of  invalids.  The  floors 


112  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

are  also  made  of  a  sort  of  composition  of 
lime-cement,  which,  together  with  the  mois- 
ture gathered  from  a  damp  atmosphere  by 
heavy  stone-walls,  make  the  apartments  not 
very  pleasant  to  feeble  invalids.  The  popu- 
lation is  about  one  hundred  and  eighty  thou- 
sand ;  nearly  half  of  which,  however,  is  with- 
out the  walls,  by  far  the  pleasantest  part  of 
the  city.  There  are  several  fine  public 
squares,  supplied  with  water-fountains ;  and 
without  the  walls  is  a  beautiful  public  prome- 
nade, at  the  further  extremity  of  which  is  sit- 
uated a  splendid  botanic  garden  and  the  gov- 
ernor's palace.  This  garden  is  thrown  open 
to  the  public  on  Sunday ;  and  thither  all  the 
beauty  and  fashion  of  the  city,  with  almost 
every  thing  else,  resort  to  enjoy  the  beauties 
of  the  scene.  I  visited  it  on  the  day  after  my 
arrival,  when  the  north  wind  had  ceased 
blowing,  the  clouds  had  mostly  dispersed,  giv- 
ing to  the  whole  city  a  much  more  favourable 
aspect  than  it  had  the  day  before.  But  still, 
as  regards  a  residence  for  invalids,  my  opin- 
ion was  unchanged.  In  addition  to  the  dis- 
advantage of  the  rains  and  northers,  it  is 
almost  twice  as  expensive  living  there  as  at 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  113 

St.  Croix,  Trinidad,  or  almost  any  other  place 
in  the  West  Indies.  Board  costs  fifteen  to 
twenty-five  dollars  per  week,  which,  together 
with  the  thousand  incidental  expenses  of  a 
great  city,  makes  more  than  most  invalids  are 
willing  and  able  to  pay-.  There  were  inva- 
lids here  from  Matanzas,  which  is  situated 
about  forty  miles  to  the  north-east,  and,  from 
their  account,  without  going  there,  I  was  en- 
tirely satisfied  it  was.  not  essentially  different 
from  Havana  in  point  of  fitness  for  invalids.  In 
the  country,  however,  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
from  either  place,  the  climate  is  better  than  at 
either  city ;  and  several  invalids  have  passed 
winters  with  tolerable  satisfaction  and  consid- 
erable advantage.  Rains  and  north  winds, 
however,  are,  and  must  be,  a  subject  of  com- 
plaint anywhere  on  the  north  side  of  the 
island,  and  to  some  extent  on  the  south,  ex- 
cept where  the  centre  is  high  and  moun- 
tainous, as  about  Trinidad,  and  further  east- 
erly. As  the  winds  generally  prevail  from 
the  north,  it  must,  in  the  nature  of  things,  be 
certain  that  the  first  land  will  condense  the 
vapour  and  receive  the  largest  quantity  of 
rain.  Without  a  full  opportunity  for  investi- 
10* 


114  A   WINTER    IN    THE 

gation,  my  opinion  was  formed 'in  the  short 
space  of  two  days,  upon  a  basis  so  perfectly 
satisfactory  to  myself,  that,  without  further 
delay  or  trouble,  I  at  once  embarked  for  Key 
West,  fully  convinced  that  it  must  at  least  be 
as  good,  and  probably  a  better  place,  than 
Havana, 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  115 


CHAPTER  XL 

Key  West. 

THE  Key  West  fishing-smacks  supply  the 
Havana  market  with  fish,  and,  sailing  directly 
from  thence  homeward,  afford  frequent  oppor- 
tunities to  pass  from  one  place  to  the  other, 
a  distance  of  about  eighty  miles,  at  the  extra- 
vagant price  of  ten  dollars  for  one  night  on 
board  a  small  vessel.  At  about  sundown  on 
the  12th  of  March  I  embarked  on  board  one 
of  them,  and  found  myself  passing  the  frown- 
ing battlements  of  the  Moro  Castle  and  the 
light-house,  at  the  mouth  of  the  harbour,  about 
dark.  As  soon  as  the  vessel  got  under-way, 
the  captain,  a  hard-looking,  cross-eyed  man, 
but  who  had  previously  conducted  with  great 
propriety,  all  at  once  appeared  to  be  much 
excited,  swearing  most  furiously,  as  well  as 
profanely,  at  every  thing  about  him,  and  par- 
ticularly at  one  of  his  men  who  was  in  a 
berth  below,  as  quiet  as  a  lamb.  Upon  being 
asked  what  the  man  had  done,  he  said  he  had 
turned  against  him,  and  accused  him  of  mur- 


116  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

der  and  piracy,  when  he  never  had  been 
guilty  of  either,  although  he  always  thought 
he  should  be  a  pirate  to  revenge  himself  upon 
mankind  for  their  villainy ;  and  that  he  would 
murder  him  by  splitting  his  brains  out  with 
an  axe,  and  throwing  him  overboard  as  soon  as 
he  got  into  the  blue  water.  He  said  mankind 
were  just  bad  enough  to  deserve  to  be  mur- 
dered, and  that  he  believed  that  God  had 
made  murderers  and  pirates  for  evil,  as  he 
had  rattlesnakes  to  bite,  and  that  he  loved  all 
he  had  made ;  that  he  feared  no  punishment 
from  God  or  man,  &c.  &c.  Such  language 
as  this,  without  any  apparent  cause  for  it, 
naturally  excited  surprise,  mingled  with  no 
small  degree  of  apprehension,  and  brought  to 
mind  the  stories  I  had  often  heard  about  Key 
West  wreckers  being  pirates,  or  about  as  bad. 
Alone  as  I  was,  in  the  midst  of  a  crew  headed 
by  such  a  captain,  suspicion  was  equivalent 
to  confirmation,  and  when  once  in  possession 
of  the  mind,  banished  every  other  considera- 
tion. At  the  very  moment  it  was  setting  in 
with  a  strong  current,  I  observed  that  we 
were  sailing  under  Spanish  colours,  whereas 
the  captain  had  told  me  his  was  an  American 
vessel.  Upon  inquiring  what  the  Spanish 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  117 

flag  meant,  the  captain  said  it  was  a  Spanish 
vessel,  and  he  was  a  Spaniard,  but  that  he 
sailed  under  just  such  colours  as  suited  him 
best.  This  was  decisive  that  they  were  indeed 
pirates,  and  for  once  in  my  life  I  was  hor- 
ribly alarmed  at  the  idea  that  I  was  the  can- 
didate for  being  thrown  into  the  blue  water 
as  soon  as  we  got  to  sea.  It  seemed  as 
though  there  was  a  secret  joy  in  every  one's 
countenance  at  having  caught  me;  and  I 
wondered  how  I  could  have  trusted  myself 
on  board  such  a  vessel  without  inquiring  its 
character.  I  tried  to  get  my  pistols  from  my 
trunk,  but  could  not  do  so  without  being 
observed,  which  would  only  make  matters 
worse.  I  then  took  care  to  mention  inciden- 
tally, that,  having  a  good  opportunity,  I  had 
bought  a  bill  on  New- York,  which  left  me  so 
destitute  of  money  that  I  might  be  compelled 
to  borrow.  For  an  hour  or  two  fear  reigned 
triumphant ;  but  as  soon  as  it  subsided  suffi- 
ciently to  give  place  to  recollection,  it  oc- 
curred to  me,  that,  instead  of  coming  on 
board  without  knowing  any  thing  of  the  ves- 
sel, an  acquaintance  at  Havana  had  informed 
me  that  he  came  over  in  the  same,  and  ad- 
vised me  to  go  in  her.  Tjlhis,  together  with 


118  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

the  fact  that  I  was  not  killed,  soon  relieved 
me  from  apprehension,  and  the  next  morning 
I  was  safely  landed  at  Key  West,  where  I 
learned  that  the  captain  was  only  a  hard 
drinker  and  hard  swearer,  and  that  all  the 
smacks  went  to  Havana  under  Spanish  colours 
to  save  port  charges.  I  mention  this,  not  only 
as  an  amusing  instance  of  unfounded  fear,  but 
also  to  show  the  great  importance  to  travel- 
lers of  being  fully  satisfied  as  to  the  character 
of  a  vessel  in  all  respects,  before  embarking. 
Suspicions  of  this  kind  are  no  very  pleasant 
visiters  any  where,  particularly  at  sea. 

Key  West  is  a  little  island,  four  or  five 
miles  long,  varying  from  half  a  mile  to  a 
mile  in  width,  situate  in  latitude  24°  25' 
north,  about  seventy  miles  west  of  the  south- 
ern extremity  of  the  peninsula  of  East  Flori- 
da. It  is  composed  of  a  formation  of  coral 
lime-stone  and  sea-shells,  beat  up  by  the 
surges  of  the  ocean,  the  ground  generally 
being  scarcely  six  feet  above  ordinary  high 
water  mark,  and  the  lowest  in  many  places 
inundated  by  every  flow  of  the  tide.  There 
are  also  several  ponds  in  the  interior,  con- 
taining a  small  quantity  of  fresh  water.  The 
Gulf  Stream  flows  along  six  or  seven  miles 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  119 

to  the  south,  with  a  reef  running  along  its 
northern  boundary,  to  the  north  of  which 
there  is  a  large  extent  of  very  shoal  water, 
interspersed  with  several  other  keys,  similar  to 
this  in  all  respects  except  dimensions,  for  near- 
ly a  hundred  miles  westerly  of  the  main  land. 
There  are  several  passages  through  the  reel 
for  large  vessels,  and  the  harbour  is  excel- 
lent. Its  position,  commanding  the  com- 
merce of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  early  attracted 
the  attention  of  our  Government  as  a  suit- 
able place  for  a  military  and  naval  depot. 
Commodore  Porter  made  it  his  head-quarters 
while  cruising  for  pirates  with  the  West  In- 
dian squadron,  and  military  barracks  on  a 
somewhat  extensive  scale  were  commenced, 
but  have  since  been  abandoned,  and  are  now 
going  to  ruin.  By  the  carelessness  of  the 
first  settlers,  and  the  exposed  situation  of 
Commodore  Porter's  men,  the  climate  of  the 
place  acquired  a  bad  character,  and  many 
now  represent  it  as  a  place  very  subject  to 
yellow  fever  and  fever  and  ague :  but  the 
experience  of  upwards  of  five  hundred  in- 
habitants for  several  years,  with  great  free- 
dom from  fevers  of  all  kinds,  and  with  but 
rarely  a  case  of  ague,  even  by  the  intern- 


120  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

perate,  has  not  only  repelled  the  charge,  but 
brought  it  into  high  estimation  as  a  place  of 
extraordinary  salubrity.  Commodore  Porter, 
in  a  communication  to  the  Government,  said 
that  his  men  contracted  their  fevers  in  the 
haunts  of  the  pirates  in  the  West  Indies,  and 
not  at  Key  West ;  but  the  lady  with  whom 
I  boarded  says  it  is  not  so;  but  still,  that 
it  was  far  from  being  the  fault  of  the  climate. 
She  said  they  had  no  provision  for  catching 
rain-water ;  that  the  men  drank  water  ob- 
tained by  digging  little  holes  in  the  ground, 
which  was  often  very  bad ;  and  besides,  that 
they  had  not  sufficient  protection  either  from 
the  sun  or  the  winds,  and  that  under  similar 
circumstances  any  body  would  now  have  the 
yellow  fever  there. 

The  great  number  of  reefs  and  shoals  in 
the  neighbourhood,  where  so  many  vessels  are 
constantly  passing,  renders  this  a  natural 
place  of  resort  for  wreckers,  who,  with  small 
vessels,  lie  about  the  shoals,  some  solely  for 
the  purpose  of  relieving  vessels  that  get 
aground,  and  others  not  only  for  that  purpose, 
but  also  employed  in  fishing  for  the  Havana 
market.  To  encourage  a  business  so  important 
to  commerce,  a  prize-court  has  been  estab- 


WEST    INDIES    AND   FLORIDA.          121 

lished  here  to  settle  questions  of  salvage,  &c. 
&c.,  which  adds  considerable  to  the  impor- 
tance of  the  place,  and  in  time  of  war,  would 
bring  to  it  a  still  more  important  class  of 
business.  A  mail  is  regularly  established 
from  hence  to  New- York  and  St.  Marks,  twice 
a  month,  a  matter  of  no  small  importance,  not 
only  to  the  inhabitants,  but  also  -to  strangers 
and  temporary  sojourners  for  health  or  other- 
wise. There  are  about  forty  small  vessels, 
wreckers  and  fishermen,  resorting  here,  which, 
together  with  the  wrecked  crews  and  passen- 
gers brought  in,  add  considerable  to  the  busi- 
ness of  the  place.  There  are  extensive  salt 
works  in  successful  operation,  from  five  to 
eight  hundred  inhabitants,  about  one  hundred 
neat  looking  houses,  fourteen  stores,  several 
ware-houses,  a  tavern,  a  court-house,  besides 
a  meeting-house  being  built;  a  small  episcopal 
society  now  hold  their  meetings  at  the  court- 
house. Besides  the  tavern,  there  is  one  other 
boarding-house,  and  arrangements  are  making 
to  open  one  or  two  more.  The  inhabitants 
will,  no  doubt,  find  accommodations  for  all 
who  go  there.  As  to  amusements,  there  are 
two  billiard  tables  and  a  nine-pin  alley.  The 
11 


122  A    WINTER    IN   THE 

price  of  board  varies  from  seven  to  ten  and 
a  half  dollars  per  week.  There  are  two  phy- 
sicians here,  of  good  reputation,  and  their 
charges  are  not  very  high. 

As  to  living,  the  first  meal  there,  after 
leaving  the  West  Indies,  shows  the  falling  off,  in 
full  relief.  Fresh  beef  and  mutton  they  have 
none,  fowls  sometimes,  but  scarce,  an  abun- 
dance of  fine  turtle,  fish  plenty,  and  of  good 
quality,  sometimes  vegetables  and  fruits  from 
the  Havana,  and  sometimes  none,  there  being 
no  regular  preparations  for  getting  them. 
Where  I  stopped,  however,  every  effort  was 
made  to  obtain  as  good  a  supply  of  provisions 
as  could  be  had,  without  incurring  expense 
beyond  what  would  be  warranted  by  the  reve- 
nue. The  soil  of  the  island  will  not  produce 
even  garden  vegetables,  to  any  considerable 
extent,  even  with  the  most  careful  cultivation. 
Many  of  the  inhabitants  remarked  that  one 
acre  of  good  soil  would  be  of  incalculable 
benefit  to  the  place.  There  are  a  few  cocoa- 
nut  trees,  a  few  lime  bushes,  and  some  small 
orange  trees,  which  last,  however,  do  not  bear. 
By  putting  on  dirt,  and  by  dint  of  watering 
from  day  to  day,  some  few  gardens  produce  a 
few  peas,  beans,  corn,  &c.  &c.,  with  some  or- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  123 

namental  flowers,  &c.  <fec.  As  a  general  re- 
mark, however,  it  is  true  that  the  soil  is  barren 
and  unproductive;  and  yet  Com.  Porter,  in  the 
same  communication  above  mentioned,  says : 
"  The  soil  is  rich,  producing  in  abundance  all 
the  West  Indian  plants  and  fruits,  except  cof- 
fee and  cane."  I  mention  this,  to  show  how 
little  dependence  can  be  placed  upon  state- 
ments from  any  source,  when  relative  terms 
are  used.  The  above  is  entitled  to  as  much 
credit  as  a  thousand  remarks  from  equally  res- 
pectable sources,  about  good  climates,  and 
still  nobody  that  ever  saw  Key  West  can  be 
charitable  enough  to  believe  it  true  in  any 
sense.  It  is  something  like  a  statement  made 
by  a  resident  there,  when  showing  his  house 
and  lot  for  sale  ;  he  pointed  out  the  garden  as 
he  called  it,  a  surface  of  lime-stone,  with  one 
or  two  inches  of  shell  soil  scattered  over  it, 
and  a  few  small  weeds  scattered  about  at  res- 
pectable distances  apart,  and  said  it  was  very 
rich,  and  would  bear  any  thing  that  should  be 
planted  upon  it. 

The  village  is  located  at  the  north-wester- 
ly corner  of  the  island,  scarcely  five  feet  above 
the  level  of  ordinary  high  water  mark  ;  and  the 
streets,  like  all  other  parts  of  it,  have  a  lime- 


124  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

stone  foundation,  just  covered  with  a  sandy 
looking  soil,  composed  in  fact  however  of 
nothing  but  shells.  The  aspect  of  things  is 
not  improved  at  all,  to  say  the  least,  by  a  lit- 
tle pond  right  in  the  centre  of  the  city,  cov- 
ering several  acres  with  salt  water,  varying 
in  depth  from  a  mud  bottom  to  two  or  three 
feet,  according  to  the  ebb  and  flow  of  the  tides. 
A  thin  sheet  of  water  like  this,  to  say  nothing 
of  the  muddy  bottom,  exposed  to  the  effects 
of  a  tropical  sun,  sends  up  an  evaporation 
that  must  affect  the  air  injuriously,  though  not 
to  as  great  an  extent  as  though  it  were  fresh 
water.  A  few  thousand  dollars  expense,  how- 
ever, would  soon  obviate  this  difficulty  by 
filling  up  the  pond,  and  making  a  public 
square  in  its  place.  There  is  a  tolerable  road 
leading  across  the  west  end  of  the  island  to 
the  south  beach,  a  distance  of  about  one  mile, 
and  another  road  runs  along  the  beach  on  the 
north  side,  towards  the  east.  There  are  seve- 
ral other  foot  and  horse  paths  through  the 
bushes,  in  different  directions.  These  are 
all  the  chances  for  riding  on  the  island. 
There  are  no  horses  or  carriages  to  let,  and  it 
is  expensive  keeping  animals  of  any  kind  on 
hay  and  oats,  Although  some  wild  cattle  do 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  125 

live  there  without  feeding,  working  horses 
and  milch  cows  must  be  fed  on  hay  and 
grain  ;  and  do  not  thrive  very  well.  All  the 
island,  except  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the 
city,  is  covered  by  a  dense  growth  of  trees 
and  bushes,  from  the  smallest  shrubbery  to 
trees  of  one  foot  or  more  in  diameter,  a  hun- 
dred years  of  age :  wood  is  therefore  abundant, 
and  probably  always  will  be.  The  trees  furnish 
to  the  mosquitoes  a  fine  protection  from  the 
sun  and  winds  ;  whereby  invalids  and  others 
are  supplied  with  external  irritation,  without 
expense  of  blister  plasters.  Indeed,  internal 
or  rather  mental  irritation  is  in  many  in- 
stances produced  to  an  extremely  uncomfort- 
able, if  not  to  a  dangerous  degree ;  insomuch 
that  no  one  can  walk  through  the  shade  in 
the  day  time,  or  any  where  in  the  evening, 
without  great  discomposure  of  temper.  Add  to 
this  a  slight  inconvenience  from  a  small  in- 
sect called  sand  flies,  which  abound  almost 
every  where,  and  a  pretty  accurate  idea  may 
be  formed  of  the  comforts  of  the  place  in  calm 
weather :  but  when  the  wind  blows,  which  is 
pretty  generally,  they  are  driven  back  into  the 
bushes  for  protection,  and  do  not  much  an- 
il* 


126  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

noy  those  who  keep  in  the  village,  which  is 
generally  the  windward  side  of  the  island. 

As  to  climate,  I  found  the  temperature 
about  like  that  of  Havana,  —  cool  enough 
to  require  woollen  clothing  constantly,  and 
not  to  admit  of  my  dispensing  with  thick 
double-soled  boots.  In  the  middle  of  the 
day  they  would  feel  rather  heavy,  but  in 
the  evening  and  morning  were  hardly  an 
adequate  protection  from  the  cold.  During 
the  two  weeks  I  remained  there  the  weath- 
er was  pleasant,  with  the  exception  of  two 
occasions,  when  it  rained  for  a  short  time. 
The  atmosphere,  however,  was  humid  ;  and 
the  large  amount  of  water  suspended  in 
the  air,  produced  at  sun-set  a  sky  tinged 
with  hues  of  red  and  yellow,  which  some 
considered  an  evidence  of  dryness.  This 
appearance,  and  the  scarcity  of  rain,  natu- 
rally leads  those  unacquainted  with  the  sub- 
ject to  an  erroneous  conclusion  in  regard  to 
the  climate  of  Key  West.  The  reason  of 
the  small  quantity  of  rain  is  not  the  ab- 
sence of  moisture,  for  the  evaporation  must 
be  great,  but  the  small  quantity  and  little 
elevation  of  the  land,  which  is  not  suffi- 
cient to  attract  and  condense  the  vapours. 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  127 

As  a  further  evidence  of  the  bad  quality  of 
the  air,  in  some  respects  at  least,  I  ob- 
served that,  after  stopping  a  short  time  at 
this  place3  the  skin  became  extremely  ten- 
der, insomuch  that  it  would  be  fractured 
by  a  touch  that  would  scarcely  be  felt  any- 
where else.  This  tenderness  of  the  skin 
was  often  remarked  by  others,  especially 
fishermen,  and  others  who  had  been  much 
in  the  open  air  and  sun-shine.  I  cannot 
discover  how  the  sun  could  be  the  only 
cause,  as  sun-shine  of  double  power  pro- 
duced no  such  effect  at  Trinidad ;  and  was 
therefore  compelled  to  ascribe  it  to  the 
combined  influence  of  sun-shine  and  a  hu- 
mid atmosphere. 

The  wind  blew  fresh  almost  constantly, 
particularly  in  the  evening  and  morning, 
and  generally  from  the  north ;  and  cold 
enough,  not  only  to  obstruct  perspiration, 
but  also  to  produce  considerable  sensation 
upon  the  surface.  I  immediately  perceived 
an  unfavourable  change  in  my  health ;  was 
obliged  to  curtail  my  eating,  one  half,  from 
approaches  of  dyspepsia ;  to  keep  in  eve- 
nings, and  sleep  under  two  blankets ;  and 
\vas  then  subject  to  expectoration  and  some 


128  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

slight  attack  of  asthma  at  night.  On  leav- 
ing, I  weighed  seven  pounds  less  than  on 
my  arrival  there.  All  these  things  together 
pretty  much  demonstrated  that  the  climate 
was  not  as  good  as  that  of  Trinidad,  or 
even  St.  Croix,  for  me  at  least ;  but  still 
there  is  no  doubt  that  it  is  far  better  than 
any  other  within  the  limits  of  the  United 
States. 

Whatever  the  thermometer  may  show,  the 
sensations  of  invalids  sufficiently  indicate 
that  its  temperature  is  too  cold.  The  coldest 
weather  had  passed  before  my  arrival ;  and 
yet,  on  several  occasions,  we  found  it  com- 
fortable to  have  a  lire  at  morning  and  even- 
ing. When  a  warm  climate  is  resorted  to  as 
a  remedy,  there  is  no  use  of  going  half-way. 
Wherever  it  is  cold  enough  to  obstruct  per- 
spiration, the  principal  advantage  is  lost.  It 
is  unwise,  indeed,  to  leave  one's  home,  and  go 
fifteen  hundred  miles,  merely  to  get  a  mild 
climate  ;  when,  by  going  a  little  further,  and 
at  about  the  same  expense,  one  entirely  free 
from  objection  may  be  found.  Persons  who 
have  come  here  directly  from  the  frozen  re- 
gions of  the  north,  find  the  contrast  so  great 
and  themselves  so  much  relieved,  that  many 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  129 

are  satisfied  and  remain  here  with  some  tem- 
porary relief,  when  by  going  further  south 
an  entire  cure  would  be  effected.  The  great 
extent  of  shoal  water,  and  the  small  eleva- 
tion of  the  place  above  its  surface,  also  make 
the  atmosphere  moist,  compared  with  many 
places  in  the  West  Indies  ;  though  not  as 
much  so  as  many  other  places  in  our  coun- 
try, and  but  little,  if  any,  more  so  than  that 
of  St.  Croix.  But  the  difference  of  tempera- 
ture makes  it  worse  ;  and  besides,  as  rains 
are  here  very  seldom,  and  at  St.  Croix  very 
frequent,  the  former  ought  to  have  a  much 
drier  atmosphere  than  the  latter;  and  un- 
doubtedly would  have  but  for  the  land-winds 
from  the  northward,  and  the  shoals  in  its 
vicinity.  For  those-  who  are  merely  predis- 
posed to  affections  of  the  lungs,  &c.  &c., 
without  actual  disease,  this  climate  may  be 
warm  enough,  and  in  comparison  with  any 
other  place  in  our  country,  must  be  pro- 
nounced  a  good  climate,  notwithstanding  all 
the  objections  above-mentioned.  From  De- 
cember to  June,  1838,  there  fell  only  TYoths 
of  an  inch  of  rain,  and  the  average  range  of 
the  thermometer,  per  month,  was  only  11°. 
The  thermometer  stood  as  follows  in  1838  : 


130  A   WINTER    IN    THE 

Highest.     Lowest.        Average. 

January,  79°  62°  74°  28" 
February,  80  54  72  15 
March,  81  62  74  50 

April,  81  63          77    31 

May,  85          64          81     14 

From  thence  to  October,  inclusive,  from  75° 
to  88°  ;  November,  83°  to  66°  ;  December, 
82°  to  54°.  Notwithstanding  my  own  im- 
pression, that  the  climate  of  Key  West  is  too 
cold,  it  is  but  fair  to  state  that  it  is  less  objec- 
tionable in  this  respect  than  that  of  Madeira, 
where  the  thermometer  sometimes  falls  as 
low  as  50°  ;  but  the  effect  of  cold  upon  the 
human  system  may  be  worse  at  the  former 
than  the  latter  place,  owing  to  winds,  hu- 
midity, &c. 

I  found  here  several  invalids,  two  from 
Pensacola,  one  of  whom  found  his  health 
somewhat  improved,  but  a  lady  with  a  cough 
showed  little  or  no  intimation  of  improve- 
ment. A  gentleman  from  New- York  who 
had  been  given  up  by  his  physician  as  a 
hopeless  case  of  consumption,  had  been  to 
Texas,  expecting  to  find  that  a  suitable  cli- 
mate for  invalids ;  but  not  feeling  exactly 
satisfied  with  mud,  fog,  rain,  sleet,  and  snow, 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  131 

had  returned  to  Key  West,  and  improved 
rapidly  ever  since  his  arrival.  Two  others 
from  the  north  with  bad  coughs,  and  one 
with  a  complication  of  chronic  diseases,  had 
found  very  great  benefit  from  the  climate, 
and  all  appeared  to  think  it  the  best  in  the 
United  States,  if  not  in  the  world.  But  there 
was  not  a  single  case  of  entire  recovery 
among  the  whole. 

The  monotony  of  living  on  so  small  an 
island,  is,  with  some,  a  serious  objection  to 
going  there ;  but  this  is  in  a  great  measure 
obviated,  so  far  as  regards  making  the  trial ; 
for,  if  dissatisfied  with  it,  there  are  frequent 
opportunities  for  Havana,  and  from  thence  to 
any  part  of  Cuba,  or  indeed  almost  any  where 
else.  A  very  good  class  of  brigs  run  from 
New- York  to  St.  Marks  twice  a  month,  touch- 
ing at  Key  West.  The  passage  is  only  forty 
dollars,  and,  with  ten  dollars  added  from 
here  to  Havana,  it  is  the  cheapest  way  of 
getting  there  :  the  Havana  packets  usually 
charging  seventy-five  dollars.  Many  think 
they  would  prefer  Key  West  to  other  places 
on  account  of  the  mail  and  the  supposed  fre- 
quency of  communication  with  New- York; 


132  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

but  after  learning  that  there  are  times  when 
no  vessel  arrives  from  New- York  or  any 
other  of  our  cities  for  a  month,  and  that  at 
almost  any  West  India  port  arrivals  from  our 
country  are  five  times  as  frequent,  they  find 
the  argument  on  the  other  side  of  the  ques- 
tion, and  that  the  little  communication  with 
other  places,  except  Havana,  is  one  of  the 
principal  objections  to  residing  at  Key  West. 
Let  no  one  trust  to  the  mail,  if  he  wishes  to 
get  his  letters  promptly,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
have  them  sent  by  the  way  of  Havana,  where- 
by the  evil  may  be  partly  obviated.  After  all 
that  can  be  said,  however,  the  smallness  of 
the  island,  the  want  of  roads  and  means  of 
riding,  and  the  dull  monotony  of  so  small  a 
place,  are,  and  always  must  be,  serious  objec- 
tions to  the  place  as  a  resort  for  invalids. 

The  society  of  the  place  is  better  than  could 
be  expected  from  its  circumstances  and  situ- 
ation, and  is  at  least  far  from  meriting  the 
unfavourable  remarks  often  made  concerning 
it.  The  inhabitants  have  been  represented 
by  some  as  a  set  of  wreckers  and  reckless 
men,  without  law  or  order,  morals  or  civility. 
These  severe  aspersions  have  arisen  partly 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  133 

from  the  fact  that  several  outrageous  mur- 
ders have  been  committed  there,  and  the  of- 
fenders allowed  to  escape  punishment,  not  so 
much  for  want  of  the  proper  disposition  on 
the  part  of  the  inhabitants  as  for  want  of  the 
proper  laws,  officers,  and  tribunals,  to  arrest 
and  try  for  crimes.  This  evil  is  now  reme- 
died to  a  considerable  extent,  and  will  no 
doubt  soon  be  entirely  removed. 

The  great  amount  of  capital  invested  by 
the  citizens  in  wrecking  vessels,  and  the  ri- 
valry among  them  in  being  first  to  discover 
and  relieve  vessels  in  distress,  together  with 
the  pleasure  manifested  at  obtaining  a  prize 
for  salvage,  have  caused  strangers  to  suspect 
that  they  rejoiced  at  the  misfortunes  of  others, 
and  might  in  some  instances  have  used  means 

O 

to  cause  the  very  distress  they  were  paid  for 
relieving.  Whether  there  is  any  thing  in  this 
suspicion  or  not,  when  wreckers  themselves 
publicly  remark,  as  I  heard  some  of  them, 
that  there  were  plenty  of  vessels  in  New 
Orleans  that  could  be  hired  to  go  ashore  and 
be  wrecked  for  five  hundred  dollars,  they 
cannot  blame  the  suspicious  for  drawing  the 
most  unfavourable  inferences  as  to  the  con- 

12 


134  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

duct  of  the  persons  engaged  in  the  business. 
As  to  their  being  glad  to  get  chances  to  bring 
in  wrecks,  they  are  not  the  only  class  who 
live  upon  the  misfortunes  of  others ;  and 
where  their  services  are  wanted,  and  are 
promptly  rendered,  they  are  entitled  to  no- 
thing the  less  credit,  because,  like  others, 
they  are  pleased  with  the  prospect  of  promo- 
ting their  own  interests.  Without  attempting 
to  justify  the  conduct  of  all,  it  may  safely  be 
said  that  Key  West  numbers  among  its  in- 
habitants as  large  a  proportion  of  fair,  up- 
right, and  honourable  business  men  as  any 
other  place  in  our  country.  There  is  a  dis- 
trict judge,  district  attorney,  and  collector, 
besides  several  other  gentlemen  of  high  re- 
spectability, intelligence,  education,  and  re- 
finement ;  and,  as  a  general  thing,  the  society 
is  exceedingly  good  for  a  small  place,  devo- 
ted exclusively  to  business,  and  isolated  from 
the  rest  of  the  world  as  this  is. 

Here  I  had  the  satisfaction  of  witnessing 
some  of  Uncle  Sam's  naval  and  military  ope- 
rations against  the  Indians  of  Florida.  Some 
three  or  four  revenue  cutters,  with  midship- 
men for  captains,  and  a  hundred  redoubtable 


WEST  INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.     135 

men  on  board,  came  into  the  harbour  from 
time  to  time,  and  most  heroically  lay  at  an- 
chor for  several  days  together,  doing  nothing 
except  drinking  grog,  and  talking  of  some 
grand  exploit,  at  some  time  or  other,  in  get- 
ting sight  of  an  Indian,  who,  of  course,  ne- 
ver failed  to  be  killed  ;  but,  as  the  Indians 
have  a  way  of  running  after  they  are  dead, 
they  of  course  never  could  find  their  game. 
When  they  got  tired  of  the  dulness  of  Key 
West,  they  would  weigh  anchor  and  go  over 
to  Havana,  to  supply  themselves  with  the 
luxuries  of  a  great  city.  Good  heavens  !  if 
this  is  the  way  the  Indian  war  is  carried  on, 
and  these  are  the  men  that  manage  it,  no 
wonder  at  the  disgrace  of  our  arms  in  being 
put  at  defiance  for  four  or  five  years  by  a 
handful  of  Indians.  A  hundred  such  men 
would  flee  in  dismay  from  ten  well-armed 
Indians ;  but  they  never  will  go  near  enough 
to  try  it  as  long  as  there  are  other  places  to 
go  to.  Why  do  not  our  Government  send  a 
force  sufficient  to  put  an  end  to  this  pitiful 
war  at  once  ?  Or,  if  they  will  not  do  that, 
let  them  offer  for  each  Indian  the  half  what 
every  one  heretofore  killed  or  taken  has  cost ; 


136  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

and  in  six  months  there  would  not  be  an 
Indian  left.  It  is  past  endurance,  that  a 
nation  strong  enough  to  compete  with  the 
mightiest  nations  should  thus  suffer  it- 
self to  be  balked  by  a  tribe  of  savages. 
But  enough  of  Indian  wars  and  revenue 
cutter  navies,  and  midshipman  captains. 


WEST    INDIES    AND   FLORIDA.          137 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Voyage  to   St.  Augustine. 

NOT  liking  to  return  to  New- York  by  sea  at 
the  early  season  my  engagements  required, 
it  had  been  my  design,  from  the  time  of 
leaving  St.  Croix,  to  proceed  via  Charleston, 
Baltimore,  &c. ;  but  on  arriving  here,  it  was 
ascertained  that  the  Charleston  packet,  which 
formerly  brought  the  mail  twice  a  week,  had 
been  discontinued,  and  that  there  was  no  rea- 
sonable expectation  of  a  chance  to  go  north 
at  all  without  embarking  at  once  for  New- 
York,  and  that,  too,  just  when  the  vessel  from 
St.  Marks  should  happen  to  come,  without 
knowing  within  a  fortnight  when  to  expect 
it.  Several  other  invalids  also  desired  to 
go  back  by  degrees ;  and  besides,  we  all 
thought  it  would  be  well  to  take  a  look  at  St. 
Augustine,  if  possible.  Accordingly,  after 
labouring  almost  incessantly  for  two  weeks,  I 
got  up  a  company  of  eight  passengers  for  St. 
Augustine,  and  chartered  a  fishing-smack 
from  the  good  old  town  of  Mystic,  Connecti- 
12* 


138  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

cut,  to  take  us  there.  The  vessel  was  a  sloop, 
of  about  forty  tons  burthen,  which  had  been 
wrecking  and  fishing  during  the  winter,  and 
was  now  returning  homeward,  with  eight  or 
nine  fishermen,  &c.  &c.,  as  steerage  passen- 
gers, besides  our  company,  which  consisted  of 
six  gentlemen  and  two  ladies.  The  cabin 
was  large  for  a  small  vessel,  had  a  state-room 
for  the  ladies,  and  berths  for  all,  except  one 
of  us.  The  odd  one,  the  captain,  and  several 
others,  who  were  crowded  out  of  the  steerage 
by  our  baggage,  made  a  berth  of  the  floor. 
With  this  small  craft,  thus  crowded  with  pas- 
sengers, on  the  25th  of  March  we  put  to  sea 
for  a  voyage  of  six  hundred  miles,  along  as 
dangerous  a  coast  as  can  be  found  in  our 
country.  However,  the  wind  was  fine,  and 
away  we  went,  all  in  good  cheer,  glad  to 
make  any  change  to  get  rid  of  the  dulness  of 
Key  West.  The  sea  was  so  smooth  during 
the  day,  that  no  one  was  sick,  and  all  retired 
to  rest  with  the  consoling  idea  that  we  were 
going  through  with  all  smooth  water.  About 
midnight,  however,  the  wind  blew  a  gale 
dead  ahead,  and  being  also  against  the  rapid 
current  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  rolled  up  a  heavy 
sea,  which  soon  turned  the  stoutest  stomachs 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  139 

in  the  cabin.  The  vessel  shipped  every  sea, 
which  not  only  prevented  any  from  going  on 
deck,  but  also  produced  a  flood-tide  in  the 
cabin.  By-and-by  the  fall  broke,  down  came 
the  boom,  and  of  course  the  mainsail,  leaving 
us  to  roll  at  the  mercy  of  the  waves,  and 
doubling  all  the  horrors  of  our  sea-sickness, 
making  some  wish  themselves  back  again, 
alarming  others,  and  displeasing  all.  What 
a  family  we  were,  out  to  sea  in  a  smack,  with 
the  wind  blowing  a  gale,  and  a  tremendous 
sea  rolling  right  over  us  at  every  swell ! 
So  much  for  travelling,  for  this  was  part  of 
it,  and  so  I  bore  it  patiently.  A  storm-sail 
was  soon  rigged,  and,  with  our  vessel  under 
light  sail,  away  we  steered  before  the  wind, 
to  make  the  nearest  harbour.  The  wind 
abating,  we  soon  turned  round  again,  and 
attempted  to  make  headway,  but  all  in  vain  ; 
and,  after  tossing  about  all  day,  at  night  we 
made  a  harbour  and  anchored,  which  gave 
us  all  a  fine  night's  rest. 

The  next  morning  we  got  under-way 
again,  with  the  wind  fresh,  and  nearly  ahead, 
which  made  another  rather  unpleasant  day  for 
us.  The  day  before,  many  were  alarmed  at 
the  prospect  of  destruction  from  the  water ; 


140  A    WINTER    IN   THE 

to-day  a  quite  different,  equally  terrible,  and 
more  exciting  cause  of  apprehension  was  dis- 
covered.    While  all  was  quiet  on  deck,  except 
now  and  then  a  complaint  at  the  slowness  of 
our  progress,  the  ladies  came  from  the  cabin, 
crying  "  fire !  fire ! "  and  at  the  same  moment 
a  smoke  was  seen  issuing  from  the  hatchway. 
This  set  every  one  in  motion  as  suddenly  as 
though  they  had  been  a  regularly  organized 
fire  company,  and  in  less  than  ten  minutes, 
the  enemy  was  subdued,  and  the  direful  con- 
sequences averted.     This  may  seem  an  inci- 
dent scarcely  worth  mentioning ;  but  whatever 
it  may  seem  to  others,  it  was  no  trifle  for  a 
dozen  or  fifteen  persons  at  sea,  to  find  their 
little  vessel  on  fire  within,  and  beset  with  a 
heavy  sea  without.     Towards  evening  the 
wind  became  fair  and  gentle,   and,  without 
further  peril  or  alarm,  on  the  29th  of  March, 
we  found  ourselves  off  St.  Augustine  light- 
house.    Just  at  this  time,  the  wind  increased 
to  almost  a  gale,  and  when  as  near  as  it  was 
safe  to  go  towards  the  shore,  we  had  to  put 
about  for  want  of  a  pilot:  no  more  attention 
having  been  paid  to  our  signal  by  the  lazy 
pilots  of  the  place,  than  if  we  had  been  a  crew 
of  pirates,  whom  they  desired  to  get  aground. 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  141 

By  sending  a  boat  forward  and  sounding  the 
way,  we  found  the  passage  over  the  bar,  and 
entered  the  harbour  without  pilotage,  and  of 
course  without  charge.  The  stupid  pilots 
were  surprised  to  see  us  come  in,  supposing  we 
would  wait  there  till  it  suited  their  conve- 
nience to  come  after  us.  The  pilots  of  St. 
Augustine  are  not  alone  in  this  fault.  When 
there  is  no  competition,  they  think  a  vessel 
dare  not  attempt  to  run  in  without  them,  and 
often  keep  one  with  a  great  number  of  passen- 
gers, all  anxious  to  get  on  shore,  from  twelve 
to  twenty-four  hours  lying  to,  with  a  rough 
sea,  in  full  view  of  their  port,  while  the  pilot 
who  ought  to  be  on  board  is  drinking  grog,  or 
worse  employed,  on  shore.  There  ought  to 
be  the  severest  penalty  imposed  on  any  pilot, 
who  should  neglect  to  board  a  vessel  with  all 
convenient  speed  whenever  the  proper  sig- 
nal is  given. 


142  A    WINTER    IN    THE 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

St.  Augustine. 

ALTHOUGH  previously  satisfied  from  the  lati- 
tude and  description  of  St.  Augustine,  that  it 
could  not  be  compared  favourably  with  either 
of  the  before  described  places  as  a  resort  for 
invalids,  still,  as  many  entertain  a  different 
opinion,  I  determined  to  examine  into  every 
material  circumstance  with  sufficient  particu- 
larity to  be  able  to  give  a  full,  fair,  just,  and 
impartial  account  of  it.  It  numbers  about 
two  thousand  inhabitants :  is  situate  at  lati- 
tude 29°  56'  north,  within  half  a  mile  of  the 
open  sea,  upon  the  highest  land  in  the  vicinity, 
being  a  kind  of  high  bank  formed  of  sand  and 
shells,  with  a  light,  dry,  sandy,  dusty  soil,  for 
surface.  The  entrance  to  the  harbour  is  nar- 
row and  crooked,  insomuch  that  no  one  wind  is 
fair  to  take  a  vessel  in  or  out.  The  streets  are 
regular,  but  narrow,  many  of  them  being  scarce 
twelve  feet  wide  ;  without  sidewalks  or  pave- 
ments ;  with  from  two  to  four  inches  of  loose 
rolling  sand  on  the  surface.  The  situation  is 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  143 

bleak,  the  winds  generally  prevail  from  the 
north-eastward,  directly  from  the  ocean,  often 
with  sufficient  force  to  drift  the  sand  along 
the  streets,  like  snow  at  the  north,  making  it 
unpleasant,  if  not  dangerous,  to  face  a  strong 
wind  with  open  eyes.     About  half  a  mile  from 
the  wharf,  the  ground  descends  to  a  marsh, 
where  the  water  sets  in  several  feet  deep  at 
high  tide,  along  a  kind  of  creek  several  rods 
wide ;   beyond  that  is  another  strip  of  land, 
about  forty  rods  wide,  similar  to  the  first,  ex- 
cept lower,  which  is  generally  improved,  but 
not  thickly  built  upon ;  then  follows  another 
marsh,  and  a  kind  of  creek,  called  Matanza's 
river,   where  the  tide  flows ;  and  then   the 
main  land  of  the  peninsula,  on  a  level  of  about 
eight  or  ten  feet  below  the   city ;  a  barren 
sandy  soil,  with  one  or  two  sand  roads  through 
it  to  the  interior,  Jacksonville,  Picolata,  &c. 
&c.,  and  covered  with  a  thick  growth  of  bush- 
es and  a  few  scattering  yellow  pines.     The 
soil  about  the  city  in  its  natural  state  bears 
some  wild  grass,  but  not  enough  to  form  a 
turf  over  the  sand,  or  keep  it  in  its  place. 
Above  the  town  is  the  old  Spanish  fort,  built 
at  great  expense,  but  now  going  to  decay,  and 
used  only  as  a  prison.     Towards  the  lower 


144  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

end  of  the  city  the  Government  have  bar- 
racks for  our  troops,  where  I  found  one  com- 
pany stationed,  amounting  to  about  forty  men. 
There  is  a  large,  fine  garden  attached  to  the 
establishment,  surrounded  with  a  fine  row  of 
young  sour  orange  trees.  Almost  every  house 
in  the  city  has  a  large  garden,  bordered  in 
the  like  manner,  and  many  of  them  are  en- 
tirely covered  with  sweet  orange  trees,  to  the 
exclusion  of  every  thing  else.  Others  are  de- 
voted to  the  culture  of  the  mulberry  tree,  an 
article  at  present  in  high  demand,  and  from 
which  half  the  inhabitants  of  St.  Augustine 
expect  to  make  a  fortune.  The  other  half 
are  sure  to  make  one  by  their  orange  groves, 
i.  e.  if  they  are  not  mistaken  in  their  calcu- 
lations. They  appear  to  flourish  well,  have 
several  years'  growth,  and  some  of  the  largest 
have  begun  to  blossom,  but  not  an  orange  is 
to  be  seen.  The  cold  winter  of  1835  killed 
all  their  trees,  and  compelled  them  to  begin 
asrain.  If  the  frost  does  not  come  too  hard 

o 

again,  they  will  have  fruit  in  two  or  three 
years.  It  is  said,  with  how  much  truth  I  do 
not  know  personally,  but  have  never  heard  it 
disputed,  that  the  oranges  of  St.  Augustine 
were  preferred  to  those  of  Havana  in  the 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  145 

New-York  market,  and  that  every  season  was 
productive.  Not  finding  many  large  dead 
trees,  or  stumps  of  them,  however,  led  me  to 
suspect  that  fortunes  never  were  made  here 
by  raising  oranges,  and  very  probably  never 
will  be.  The  raising  and  selling  young  trees, 
either  orange  or  mulberry,  however,  is  a  very 
profitable  business  as  long  as  there  are  plenty 
of  purchasers ;  but  if  the  supply  happens  to 
exceed  the  demand,  the  speculation  will  turn 
out  like  a  great  many  others  of  modern  times. 
Many  suppose  the  climate  must  be  very  fine 
and  free  from  cold,  because  oranges  can  be 
produced  here ;  but  when  it  is  considered  that 
they  will  endure,  without  injury,  the  temper- 
ature of  12°  below  freezing,  it  is  not  at  all 
surprising  that  good  fires  and  thick  overcoats 
should  be  very  necessary  articles  in  an  orange- 
growing  country.  When  the  trees  were  killed 
here,  the  thermometer  fell  to  22°  below  freez- 
ing, or,  in  other  words,  8°  above  zero.  This 
was  cold  enough  to  make  ice  to  skate  upon. 
On  the  27th  of  March,  only  two  days  before 
my  arrival,  it  fell  to  freezing  within  eight 
miles  of  the  city,  and  nearly  as  low  in  town. 

It  was  not  my  intention  to  have  devoted  as 
much  attention  to  this  place  till   convinced 
13 


146  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

by  the  conversations  of  my  fellow-passengers 
from  Key  West,  and  the  invalids  and  inhabi- 
tants here,  with  what  determined  tenacity 
many  still  adhere  to  the  idea  that  there  is  no 
occasion  for  invalids  going  out  of  the  United 
States  to  find  a  climate  suitable  to  relieve  them 
from  the  terrible  diseases  contracted  in  the 
severe  climate  of  the  north. 

I  was  hardly  credited  at  Key  West  when  I 
assured  them  that  the  south  side  of  Cuba  was 
much  warmer  and  pleasanter  than  that  place  ; 
that  the  haze  in  the  sky  at  morning  and  eve- 
ning, and  the  moisture  of  the  sand  along  the 
streets  in  the  morning,  were  evidences  of  a 
humid,  though  not  a  rainy  atmosphere.  Be- 
cause it  did  not  rain  often,  it  was  declared 
very  dry ;  because  at  Havana  they  have 
northers  and  rains,  it  was  declared  as  good  as 
Cuba ;  and  because  it  was  much  warmer  than 
any  other  place  in  our  country,  it  was  declared 
warm  enough.  It  was,  in  truth,  however,  so 
good,  that,  susceptible  as  I  was  to  the  effects 
of  a  bad  climate,  and  particularly  cold,  my 
time  there  had  been  passed  with  a  great  de- 
gree of  comfort ;  and  on  our  passage,  in  dis- 
cussing our  preferences  for  the  respective 
places  we  had  visited,  I  had  a  strong  argu* 


WEST  INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.     147 

ment  in  my  favour  from  the  fact  that  every  one 
of  them,  though  improved,  was  still  labouring 
under  his  old  difficulties,  whereas,  during  the 
whole  passage,  I  had  no  appearance  of  catarrh, 
cough,  or  asthma,  and  scarcely  any  of  dyspep- 
sia :  a  sure  indication  that  my  improvement 
had  been  greater  than  theirs.  On  coming  on 
shore  I  felt,  and  looked  too,  like  a  well  man, 
and  was  highly  pleased  to  think  of  getting  so 
far  north  without  a  return  of  the  old  difficul- 
ties. The  very  first  night,  however,  the  cold 
began  to  produce  its  effect.  All  were  glad  to 
sit,  with  shut  doors  and  windows,  around  a 
good  blazing  fire,  and,  in  spite  of  all  precau- 
tions, the  exciting  stimulus  of  the  cold  air 
produced  first  pain  in  the  head  and  spine,  then 
an  oppression  upon  the  chest,  then  dyspepsia, 
catarrh,  and  asthma :  by  the  third  night  it  was 
impossible  to  draw  a  clear  breath,  and  all  the 
symptoms  of  my  old  difficulties  appeared  to 
be  returning  with  redoubled  force.  There 
were  several  very  pleasant  days.  i.  e.  when  the 
sky  was  clear;  but  then,  although  the  ther- 
mometer stood  in  the  middle  of  the  day  at 
about  70°  in  the  shade,  and  although  perspira- 
tion was  readily  produced  by  walking  in  the 
sun,  still,  such  was  the  force  of  the  north  wind, 


148 

that  the  moment  I  found  myself  in  the  shade, 
or  in  any  current  of  air,  the  perspiration  was 
suddenly  checked,  and  the  sensation  of  cold 
apparently  as  great  as  k  would  be  with  the 
thermometer  at  40°  at  the  north.  Although 
others  did  not  feel  the  cold  so  much,  still 
the  fact  that  they  all  sat  around  a  good  large 
fire  at  morning  and  evening,  was  some  evi- 
dence that  they  did  not  feel  comfortable  with- 
out it.  The  dining-roomr  as  well  as  sitting- 
room,  had  to  be  heated  up  by  fire  to  make  it 
comfortable,  and  this  down  to  the  10th  of  April, 
in  an  orange-growing  country,  and  a  supposed 
suitable  resort  for  invalids.  Comment  is  un- 
necessary. The  thing  speaks  for  itself.  It  is 
not  only  absurd,  but  almost  wicked,  to  send  a 
sick  man  here  for  his  health,  when  it  is  just  as 
easy  to  send  him  to  a  better  place.  Eveiy  one 
at  all  sensitive  knows  how  unpleasant  it  is  at 
the  north  in  the  spring  and  fall,  when  it  is  so 
warm  in  the  middle  of  the  day  that  no  atten- 
tion is  paid  to  fires  at  morning  and  evening, 
rainy  days,  &c.,  to  stand  or  sit  about,  half 
shivering,  but  still  scarcely  cold  enough  to 
admit  of  fire  without  being  too  warm.  Just 
so  it  is,  and  must  be  here  much  of  the  time 
during  the  winter,  for  it  is  only  when  coldest 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  149 

that  fires  are  made.  More  than  half  of  the 
time  I  remained  here  it  was  cold  and  cloudy, 
with  a  severe  north-east  wind.  This  wind  is 
nothing  like  those  of  the  West  Indies,  which, 
though  often  fresh,  are  warm  and  bland;  but, 
on  the  contrary,  is  as  sour,  cold,  and  piercing, 
as  half-frozen  vinegar.  Situate  on  the  borders 
of  the  temperate,  so  near  the  torrid  zone,  it  is 
natural  enough  to  expect  a  great  proportion 
of  cold  north  wind,  with  now  and  then  a  veiy 
warm  breeze  from  the  south,  thus  making  the 
climate  exceedingly  variable.  There  were 
one  or  two  days,  however,  when  the  winds 
slackened,  the  sky  became  bright,  and  the  at- 
mosphere became  dry  enough  to  affect  respi- 
ration unfavourably.  As  the  country  in  its 
vicinity  is  mostly  composed  of  dry  sand,  it  is 
probable  the  westerly  winds  prove  injurious 
to  lung  complaints  from  their  dryness,  and  the 
northerly  and  easterly  winds  must  be  injuri- 
ous from  their  cold,  sharp,  cutting  severity. 
The  south-east  winds  are  the  most  favourable, 
but  are  seldom  and  of  short  duration.  A  cloak 
is  quite  as  necessary  an  article  to  safety  and 
comfort  here  as  at  New- York,  for  the  general 
temperature  being  higher,  makes  the  cold  more 
perceptible  and  more  dangerous. 
13* 


150  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

The  above  objections  to  this  place  were  so 
well  known  to  me  before,  that  I  supposed 
others  must  know  them  also,  and  that  not 
more  than  four  or  five  invalids  would  be 
found  here ;  but,  so  far  from  such  being  the 
fact,  more  than  twenty  were  here  on  my  ar- 
rival, eight  or  ten  had  returned,  and  thirteen 
had  died  within  the  last  four  months.  The 
death  of  invalids  of  itself  proves  nothing 
against  a  climate ;  but  when  so  large  a  pro- 
portion have  died  here,  while  at  St.  Croix, 
not  by  any  means  the  best  climate  that  can  be 
found,  out  of  a  larger  number  of  the  most 
dangerous  cases,  the  deaths  during  the  same- 
time  have  been  only  six  or  seven  ;  this,  in 
my  estimation,  "serves  to  thicken  with  the 
other  proofs"  against  the  claimed  superiority 
of  climate.  Many,  no  doubt,  came  here  far 
gone  with  consumption ;  so  did  those  who 
died  at  St.  Croix :  but  several  of  those  who 
can  never  hope  to  recover,  instead  of  being 
cut  off  at  once,  are  so  much  relieved  as  to 
prolong  their  lives,  and  give  nature  a  fair 
chance  of  effecting  a  cure.  I  found  here  one 
gentleman  from  Boston,  of  great  intelligence 
and  respectability,  who  had  travelled  much, 
and,  on  the  whole,  preferred  this  place  for 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  151 

himself  to  any  other.  His  was  an  affection 
of  the  lungs,  though  not  a  bad  case.  He 
looked  pretty  well,  but  did  not  pretend  to  go 
out  at  night  nor  in  the  morning  without  his 
cloak  on  and  his  neck  well  bundled  up.  He 
had  been  to  St.  Croix,  but  did  not  like  the 
climate,  because  too  warm,  producing  debility. 
Several  of  his  family  had  the  fever  while 
there,  which  no  doubt  influenced  his  judg- 
ment against  the  climate,  as  having  the  asth- 
ma did  mine  against  that  of  this  place. 
Another  gentleman  who  had  spent  the  winter 
of  1836-7  at  St.  Croix,  thought  that  climate 
bad  and  this  worse.  His  daughter  died  at  St. 
Croix,  which  no  doubt  had  its  influence  in 
forming  his  opinion  of  it.  He  was  convinced 
that  he  was  no  better  here  than  he  should  be 
at  home,  in  Rochester,  New- York.  His  was 
an  affection  of  the  throat  and  bronchial  tubes. 
A  young  man  from  western  New-York,  with 
a  consumption,  as  he  thought,  had  found 
himself  some  better  than  at  the  north,  but  he 
complained  of  the  climate  as  being  too  cold. 
Another  that  fell  under  my  observation  was 
in  the  last  stages  of  consumption,  and  will 
soon  add  another  to  the  list  of  deaths  this  sea- 
son. There  are  some  persons  residing  here 


152  A    WINTER    IN   THE 

who  at  first  came  out  for  their  health,  and 
have  entirely  recovered.     Some  of  my  fellow- 
passengers  from  Key  West  thought  the  cold 
was  not  very  objectionable,  and  the  one  who 
had  no  cough  talked  of  coming  here  to  reside. 
On  the  whole,  I  have  no  doubt,  that,  in  cases 
of  mere  predisposition  to  disease,  benefit  has 
been,  and  may  sometimes  be,  derived  from  a 
winter  residence  here,  but  that  those  who  are 
really  suffering  from  the  effects  of  cold  might 
about  as  well  stay  at  home.    Very  good  medi- 
cal attendance  can  be  procured  here,  but  the 
charges  are  high,  being  about  five  dollars  for 
a  first  visit  to  a  stranger,  and  probably  nearly 
as  much  for  each  succeeding  visit.     There 
is  no  dispute  about  the  general  salubrity  of 
the  place.     It   is  small    and   dull,   without 
amusements,    and    without    any    horses    or 
carriages  to  let,  or  other  means  of  enabling 
strangers  to  ride,  and  it  is  difficult  to  disco- 
ver that  it  excels  Key  West   in   any  thing 
except  greater  extent   of  territory,    a   pros- 
pect of  speculating  in  Florida  lands,    and 
the   more   frequent   opportunity  of  sending 
and    receiving     communications    by    mail. 
The  mail  goes  to  and  from  Savannah  twice 
a  week,    and  arrives   there   in   about    four 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  153 

days.  The  expense  of  board  is  about  the 
same  as  at  Key  West ;  the  living-  not  as 
good  as  might  be  had  at  that  place,  but 
houses  and  furnishing  better.  Fine  oysters 
abound  here,  however,  as  a  substitute  for 
the  turtle  of  Key  West.  There  are  two 
large  and  commodious  hotels,  capable  of 
entertaining  forty  or  fifty  persons  each.. 
The  Florida  House,  kept  by  Mr.  Thomp- 
son, is  a  large,  commodious,  and  well  reg- 
ulated establishment,  considering  the  cir- 
cumstances of  the  place ;  and,  although 
somewhat  expensive,  good  fires  were  gene- 
rally provided,  to  obviate  the  severity  of  the- 
weather.  It  costs  five  dollars  to  go  to  Jack- 
sonville in  a  bad  stage.  Steamboats  ran  pret- 
ty regularly  from  the  St.  John's  river  to  Savan- 
nah, but  none  from  here  anywhere  north. 

A  packet  schooner  runs  regularly  from 
here  to  Charleston,  at  ten  dollars  passage, 
but  owing  to  north-east  winds,  it  is  some- 
times impossible  to  get  out  of  the  harbour 
for  a  month  at  a  time.  I  was  detained  in 
that  manner  for  ten  days,  during  which  pe- 
riod I  wrote  this  description,  in  a  room 
without  fire,  with  a  cloak  on,  and  feet  cold 
in  spite  of  thick  boots  :  suffering  from  asth- 


154  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

ma,  —  fearing  worse  further  north,  —  still 
burning  with  impatience  on  account  of  the 
delay.  If  this  ought  to  detract  any  thing 
from  the  weight  due  to  the  opinions  above 
expressed,  make  the  necessary  deduction : 
but  as  to  all  the  facts,  they  are  just  as  true 
as  they  would  be,  if  I  were  ever  so  much 
pleased  with  the  place,  and  owned  large 
tracts  of  Florida  lands,  like  some  who  have 
given  different  accounts.  If  any  one  doubts, 
I  have  but  one  answer :  let  him  try  it. 

The  following  table  shows  the  general 
state  of  the  weather  for  one  year  previous 
to  April,  1839: 


1838.               Highest. 

Lowest.           Rainy  Days. 

April, 

73° 

54° 

3 

May, 

78 

61 

2 

June, 

79 

71 

18 

July, 

89 

70 

4 

August, 

86 

76 

'  12 

September, 

86 

64 

12 

October, 

85 

52 

8 

November, 

85 

46 

3 

December, 

80 

24     Frost. 

4 

1833. 

January, 

78 

42 

4 

February, 

79 

46 

6 

WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  155 

1839*  Highest.     Lowest.          Rainy  Days. 

March,  86°        36°     Frost.     3 

10th  April,      70          56  2 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  the  summer 
months  alone  are  far  from  too  low  a  tem- 
perature for  invalids,  and  that  it  would  be 
more  wise  to  send  them  at  that  season 
than  any  other.  They  would  avoid  the 
extreme  variations  of  the  north  from  90°  to 
40°,  which  always  must  be  injurious  at  any 
season  or  place.  But  the  marshes  in  the 
vicinity  harbour  too  many  mosquitoes  in 
summer  to  allow  one  a  moment's  quiet : 
so  I  was  informed  by  a  family  who  had 
resided  there  a  year,  and  which  rather  sur- 
prised me,  as  it  seemed  from  the  state  of 
the  weather  in  April,  that  mosquitoes  would 
freeze  in  summer.  These  marshes,  too,  in 
warm  weather,  must  produce  a  bad  effect 
upon  the  atmosphere. 

At  the  time  of  writing  the  above,  I  sup- 
posed the  wind  was  coming  about,  so  as 
to  take  me  along  to  some  place,  if  no  bet- 
ter, at  least  free  from  pretensions  to  a  fine 
climate.  Nothing  can  be  worse  than  to  find 
oneself  imprisoned  in  this  little  village  ; 
kept  a  whole  week  or  more  with  a  cold, 


156  A  WINTER  IN  THE 

piercing  wind  drifting  the  sand  along  the 
streets,  and  into  his  eyes,  with  sometimes 
a  chance  at  a  fire  morning  and  evening, 
and  sometimes  a  chance  to  wrap  up  in  a 
cloak  and  shiver  without  any ;  and  many 
times  too  cold  to  keep  warm  by  walking 
in  the  sun-shine ;  with  numbers  of  misera- 
ble patients  hovering  about  the  fire,  telling 
stories  of  distress,  while  others  are  busily 
engaged  in  extolling  the  climate.  It  is  al- 
together unendurable  to  hear  it.  Why,  a 
man  that  would  not  feel  too  cold  here, 
would  stand  a  six  years'  residence  in  Green- 
land, or  send  an  invalid  to  the  Great 
Dismal  Swamp  for  health.  The  truth  is, 
a  man  in  health  can  judge  no  better  of 
the  fitness  of  a  climate  for  invalids  than  a 
blind  man  of  colours.  He  has  no  sense 
by  which  to  judge  of  it.  His  is  the  feel- 
ing of  the  well  man,  but  not  of  the  sick. 
I  have  been  healthy,  and  now  I  am  sick  ; 
and  know  the  above  remark  is  correct. 
No  getting  away,  —  blow  —  blow  —  blow,— 
north-east  winds  are  sovereigns  here,  forci- 
bly restraining  the  free  will  of  every-body, 
and  keeping  every  thing  at  a  stand  except 
the  tavern-bill,  which  runs  against  all  winds 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  157 

and  weather.  Here  are  forty  passengers, 
besides  a  vessel,  detained  for  ten  days  by 
the  persevering  obstinacy  of  the  tyrant  wind, 
—  while  its  music  roars  along  the  shore, 
to  regale  us  by  night  as  well  as  by  day, 
and  keep  us  in  constant  recollection  of  the 
cause  of  detention.  Oh,  for  a  steamboat, 
that  happiest  invention  of  man,  —  that  goes 
in  spite  of  wind  and  tide  !  Talk  of  dan- 
ger ! — Why,  rather  than  be  detained  in  this 
manner,  I  would  take  passage  on  board  a 
balloon,  or  a  thunder  cloud.  Any  thing 
to  get  along. 

These  north-easters  are  what  used  to  be 
called  "orange  winds,"  —  because,  when  a 
cargo  of  fruit  was  put  on  board,  it  was 
often  ten  days  before  it  was  possible  to  get 
out  of  the  harbour,  during  which  time  the 
whole  would  decay,  and  thereby  make  a 
market  for  another  cargo.  This  is  another 
impediment  to  making  fortunes  by  growing 
oranges  at  St.  Augustine. 

Instead  of  riding  for  amusement,  as  at 
St.  Croix,  the  invalids  here  appear  to  have 
taken  a  great  fancy  to  cutting  and  trimming 
orange  sticks  for  canes.  Having  nothing 
else  to  do,  many  of  them  work  as  indus- 
14 


158  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

triously  at  this  as  so  many  mechanics  toil- 
ing for  their  daily  wages.  To  see  a  dozen 
men  sitting  along  the  sunny  side  of  the 
house,  all  engaged  in  whittling,  forcibly  re- 
minded me  of  the  remark  of  Mrs.  Trol- 
lope,  "that  the  Americans  were  a  whittling 
nation."  Every  one  intends  to  carry  home 
canes  enough  to  present  one  to  each  of  his 
friends,  as  an  everlasting  memorial  of  the 
far-off  and  never-to-be-forgotten  city  of  St. 
Augustine,  where  orange  trees  will  grow  in 
spite  of  frost,  except  once  in  four  or  five 
years,  when  it  comes  too  hard. 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  159 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Return  to  New-York. 

AT  length,  after  twelve  days  severe  north- 
east wind,  to  the  great  joy  of  the  passengers, 
and  misfortune  of  landlords,  on  the  10th  of 
April  the  smoke  from  the  chimney- tops  was 
observed  to  incline  to  the  northward ;  and 
about  four  o'clock,  p.  M.,  we  got  out  of  the 
harbour,  and  stretched  our  way  for  Charleston 
with  a  fair  breeze.  On  board  was  a  lady 
who  had  just  buried  her  husband,  who  had 
vainly  resorted  to  the  climate  of  St.  Augus- 
tine for  relief  from  a  pulmonary  complaint, 
and  now,  with  a  little  child,  the  only  rem- 
nant of  her  family,  was  making  her  way  to 
the  north,  lamenting  her  fate,  and  regretting 
the  vain  experiment  of  such  a  change  of  cli- 
mate. A  circumstance  like  this,  as  usual, 
impressed  me  with  a  deep  tone  of  melan- 
choly ;  but  it  made  but  little  impression  upon 
the  inhabitants  of  the  place,  to  whom  such 
occurrences  seemed  to  be  familiar.  Before 
leaving,  the  weather  had  become  warmer,  my 


160  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

difficulties  had  somewhat  subsided,  and  but 
for  the  idea  of  being  forcibly  detained, 
the  last  few  days  would  have  passed 
with  a  tolerable  degree  of  comfort.  On  ar- 
riving at  Charleston  the  weather  was  fine, 
the  air  moist,  but  bland,  not  unlike  that  of  St. 
Croix  in  January ;  and,  on  the  whole,  my 
health  appeared  about  as  good  as  at  the  time 
of  leaving  Key  West.  From  inquiry,  I 
learned  that  the  weather  for  ten  days  previ- 
ous had  been  much  better  at  Charleston  than 
at  St.  Augustine  ;  but,  as  a  general  remark, 
it  is  true  that  Charleston  has  a  worse  climate 
for  invalids  than  St.  Augustine.  Although 
a  fine  city,  and  in  many  respects  a  pleasant 
place,  it  is  surrounded  by  low  grounds,  mud 
and  marshes,  and  but  for  the  purifying  influ- 
ence of  the  salt  water,  which  freely  ebbs  and 
flows  there,  would  be  a  very  unhealthy  place. 
There  is  generally  but  little  sickness,  how- 
ever, except  some  cases  of  yellow  fever  in 
summer,  which  proves  fatal  to  strangers,  and 
sometimes  to  inhabitants.  Unlike  most  cities, 
it  is  healthier  than  the  country  in  its  vicinity  ; 
and  in  very  warm  weather,  it  is  said,  an  in- 
habitant cannot  go  out  of  town  without  tak- 
ing a  fever.  Very  good  packets  carry  pas- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  161 

senders  from  Charleston  to  New- York  for 
twenty  to  twenty-five  dollar^  generally  mak- 
ing the  passage  in  from  four  to-  eight  days  ; 
and  many  persons  travelling  north  were  in 
doubt  whether  to  go-  by  sea  or  land :  I  con- 
cluded to  try  the  latter.  Another  question  to 
be  settled  was  between  taking  a  steamboat 
direct  for  Norfolk,  doubling  Cape  Hatteras,  at 
twenty-five  dollars  passage,  and  going  by 
steamboat  to  Wilmington,  North  Carolina, 
and  thence  to  Norfolk  via  the  Wilmington 
and  Halifax,  and  Portsmouth  and  Roanoke 
railroads.  Here  was  a  difference  of  opinion  ; 
but  as  the  former,  going  only  once  a  week, 
did  not  start  as  soon  by  one  day,  I  preferred 
the  latter  route,  which  is  a  daily  mail  line ; 
and  after  a  fine  night's  rest  found  myself  at 
Wilmington  the  next  morning  at  about  seven 
o'clock,  a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  fifty 
miles.  The  town  is  situate  on  a  sand-bank, 
in  the  vicinity  of  low  rice  lands  and  swamps ; 
but,  like  all  other  places,  is  healthy,  if  the 
inhabitants  are  to  be  believed.  From  the 
steamboat  the  change  to  a  railroad  car  was 

o 

rather  pleasant ;  but,  before  getting  through 
eighty   miles   of  swampy   land,    every    one 
wished  himself  upon  the  blue  waters,  where 
14* 


162  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

a  pure  atmosphere  balanced  a  thousand  evils. 
When  from  this  we  changed  to  the  slow  mo- 
tion of  a  stage-coach,  along  a  similar  swamp, 
night  and  day,  for  eighty  miles  further,  some- 
times almost  literally  going  out  of  sight  of 
land,  and  expecting  every  moment  to  be 
upset  either  upon  land  or  water,  no  one  felt 
disposed  to  find  fault  with  a  railroad  through 
any  country,  as  it  ensured  speed,  if  nothing 
else.  At  Welden,  North  Carolina,  we  took 
the  Portsmouth  and  Roanoke  railroad,  and 
got  through  in  thirty-six  hours  from  Wil- 
mington, a  distance  of  three  hundred  miles. 
Almost  the  whole  country  appeared  one  con- 
tinuous swamp,  with  clay  bottom,  sandy  soil, 
and  a  growth  of  pitch-pine  trees,  entirely  in- 
capable of  the  production  of  any  thing  but 
turpentine,  tar,  and  fever  and  ague.  Here 
and  there  a  spot  of  high  ground  was  cleared 
and  inhabited,  exhibiting  now  and  then  a 
few  fruit  trees  in  blossom,  contrasting  finely 
with  the  gloomy  monotony  of  pitch-pine 
forests.  Nobody,  however,  would  live  here 
who  had  ever  seen  any  other  country ;  but, 
in  the  consoling  belief  that  the  country  is 
as  healthy  as  any  in  the  world,  many  have 
lived  there  till  they  have  become  proof 


WEST  INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  163 

against  ague,  and  without,  apparently,  being 
at  all  dissatisfied  with  their  condition.  At 
about  midnight,  in  company  with  a  fellow- 
traveller,  I  walked  on  while  the  horses  were 
being  changed,  and,  perceiving  a  bright  pine 
fire  at  a  distance,  upon  a  little  elevation 
above  the  surrounding  country,  with  some 
waggons  around  it,  went  up  to  see  what 
might  be  there.  Two  or  thre^  men  were 
sleeping,  without  covering,  upon  the  damp 
earth,  as  quietly  as  though  they  had  been 
reposing  *upon  beds  of  down.  They  were 
awakened  by  our  approach,  and  we  fell  into 
conversation.  They  had  covered  waggons, 
and  were  going  down  to  the  coast  to  buy 
loads  of  herring  to  peddle  out  on  their  re- 
turn. I  asked  one  of  them  why  he  did  not 
get  under  the  cover  of  his  waggon  to  sleep. 
He  replied  it  was  not  long  enough,  and  be- 
sides that  it  was  healthier  to  lie  in  the  open 
air.  "I  understand,"  said  he,  "the  people  at 
the  north  sleep  in  the  house  all  the  time,  and 
that  it  makes  them  sickly."  Half  mankind 
are  just  about  as  good  philosophers  upon 
this  subject  as  these  waggoners,  vainly  im- 
agining that  any  thing  is  healthy  which  can 
be  lived  through.  As  the  coach  came  up,  I 


164  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

ironically  remarked  to  my  companion  that  I 
had  an  idea  of  taking  lodgings  with  the  wag- 
goners ;  whereupon,  taking  me  in  earnest,  one 
and  all  exclaimed,  "you  are  welcome,  stran- 
ger." This  trifling  interview  seemed  impor- 
tant enough  for  a  midnight  scene  in  a  North 
Carolina  swamp,  and  gave  a  better  idea  of 
the  character  and  manners  of  the  lower  class 
of  people  there  than  could  be  obtained  by  read- 
ing for  a  week.  If  these  swamps  extend  for  a 
hundred  or  more  rniles  in  width  through 
South  Carolina  and  Georgia,  also,  as  well  as 
part  of  Florida,  as  I  have  no  doubt  they  do, 
no  wonder  the  north  winds  bear  along  an 
unwholesome  air  even  as  far  south  as  Key 
West.  It  is  impossible  that  any  place  less 
than  a  thousand  miles  to  the  leeward  should 
enjoy  a  good  climate. 

From  Portsmouth  a  fine  boat,  starting  at 
evening,  took  us  to  Baltimore  by  nine  o'clock 
the  next  mornins:.  But  although  a  number 

o  o 

of  passengers  were  extremely  anxious  to  take 
the  first  train  of  cars  to  Philadelphia,  and  got 
their  baggage  alongside  the  street  where  they 
passed,  they  would  not  stop  to  take  us  in, 
under  the  pretence  that  they  had  not  time. 
As  the  railroad,  steamboat,  and  all,  are  in  the 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  165 

hands  of  one  company,  they  knew  they  were 
sure  of  our  money  the  next  trip,  and  little  did 
they  care  for  the  rest.  I  had  exposed  my 
health  by  riding  through  the  swamps  in  the 
night  to  save  a  day,  and  here  lost  it  again  for 
want  of  that  spirit  of  accommodation  that  is 
always  sure  to  prevail,  except  where  charter- 
ed monopolies  have  the  power  in  their  own 
hands.  If  passengers  knew  they  were  liable 
thus  to  lose  the  time  attempted  to  be  saved  in 
going  from  Charleston  to  New- York  by  land, 
a  packet  would  be  preferred  in  a  majority  of 
cases.  The  expense  is  not  half  as  much,  the 
trouble  less,  and  the  usual  passage  but  a  day 
or  two  longer.  After  passing  a  day  very 
pleasantly  in  Baltimore,  at  night  I  was  off  for 
New- York,  where,  by  the  force  of  steam,  I 
arrived  the  next  day  at  4  p.  M.  The  inland 
passage  from  Charleston  costs  about  fifty  dol- 
lars, and  by  sea  about  twenty.  Persons 
returning  from  the  West  Indies  in  the  spring, 
especially  invalids,  will  find  it  pleasanter  to 
land  at  Charleston,  and  make  the  residue  in- 
land, instead  of  venturing  on  the  northern 

'  O 

coast  in  bad  weather ;  but,  after  the  first  of 
May,  in  spite  of  sea-sickness,  the  sea-passage 
is  far  preferable  to  the  inland. 


166  A    WINTER    IN   THE 

I  had  returned  home  with  fear  and  trem- 
bling, in  the  expectation  of  a  return  of  my  old 
complaints,  in  a  worse  degree  than  at  St.  Au- 
gustine ;  but  happily,  the  result  was  far  other- 
wise, the  cold  being  felt  but  little  more  here 
than  there  ;  and  after  contrasting  my  present 
health  with  what  it  was  at  leaving,  my  im- 
provement was  found  to  have  been  much 
greater  than  I  had  yet  been  aware  of.  Every 
one  who  met  me  expressed  their  surprise  at 
the  change,  and  pronounced  the  cure  com- 
plete. But  in  this  they  are  mistaken.  The 
first  wind  of  winter  will  drive  me  south 
again  ;  and  it  would  be  presumptuous  to  at- 
tempt to  avoid  it. 

In  four  and  a  half  months,  during  which 
time  the  most  that  could  have  been  expected 
at  the  north  would  have  been  the  mainte- 
nance of  a  miserable  existence,  by  means  of 
heavy  clothing  and  hot  fires,  with  constant 
confinement,  I  made  six  voyages  at  sea,  four 
by  steamboats,  two  hundred  and  thirty  miles 
by  railroads,  and  eighty  in  stage  coaches, 
which,  altogether,  amounted  to  forty-six  hun- 
dred miles  by  sea  and  land,  without  suffering, 
except  from  sea-sickness,  and  at  an  expense 
of  only  about  five  hundred  dollars  for  the 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  167 

whole  time.  By  going  to  one  place,  and 
there  remaining  during  the  winter,  the  ex- 
penses of  an  invalid  need  not  exceed  three 
hundred  dollars :  a  mere  trifle,  compared 
with  the  advantages  almost  sure  to  be  gained 
even  by  those  who  do  not  thereby  regain  their 
health.  By  this  remark,  however,  I  do  not 
mean  to  encourage  the  idea  of  sending  abroad 
patients  with  confirmed  consumption.  It  is 
much  better  they  should  remain  at  home. 


168  A   WINTER    IN    THE 


CHAPTER   XV. 

General  Observations. 

As  Key  West  and  St.  Augustine  are  the  only 
places  claimed  to  be  favourable  for  invalids 
in  the  United  States,  except  some  prospective 
towns  in  the  vicinity  of  each,  and  as  each  of 
these  are  far  inferior  to  a  hundred  places  in 
the  West  Indies,  it  becomes  unnecessary  to 
discuss  the  merits  of  several  other  places 
which  were  formerly  much  resorted  to,  but 
which  now  send  their  quota  of  invalids  to 
other  and  more  favourable  situations.  During 
my  tour  I  have  met  with  invalids  from  Bos- 
ton, New-Bedford,  Providence,  New-Haven, 
New- York,  Albany,  Fonda,  Utica,  Rochester, 
Buffalo,  Philadelphia,  Indiana,  Ohio,  Balti- 
more, Charleston,  Savannah,  Macon,  Pensa- 
cola,  Tallahasse,  (Fa.,)  New-Orleans,  and  Tex- 
as, and  more  than  five  to  one  of  the  whole 
number  fully  agree  with  me  in  the  opinion, 
that,  with  some  few  exceptions,  arising  from 
the  nature  or  state  of  the  disease,  any  point  in 
the  United  States  is,  by  its  geographical  po- 


WEST    INDIES    AND   FLORIDA.  169 

sition,  too  cold  to  furnish  the  desired  relief, 
and  that  Key  West  is  the  only  place  that  can 
plausibly  claim  to  be  an  exception  to  the 
general  rule.  As  some  may  still  feel  disposed 
to  prefer  the  latter  rather  than  depart  from 
their  own  country,  and  others,  though  prefer- 
ring the  West  Indies,  may,  from  some  cause, 
desire  to  visit  places  there  other  than  those 
above  described,  I  will  proceed  to  detail  such 
information  as  I  have  been  able  to  obtain  in 
regard  to  places  which,  though  not  much  re- 
sorted to,  are  undoubtedly  similar  in  many 
respects  to  those  above  described. 

Porto  Rico,  a  large  Spanish  island,  situate 
only  one  to  three  degrees  to  the  westward  of 
St.  Oroix,  has  a  rich  soil,  producing  sugar- 
cane in  great  abundance  and  with  little  la- 
bour, with  a  large  proportion  of  wild,  uncul- 
tivated land,  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of 
timber.  Large  fortunes  have  been,  and  no 
doubt  may  still  be,  made  there  by  purchasing 
wild  land  and  commencing  sugar  estates. 
The  best  soil  produces  from  three  to  four 
hogsheads  of  sugar  to  the  acre,  besides  the 
usual  proportion  of  molasses,  whereas  at  St. 
Croix  two  hogsheads  to  the  acre  is  considered 
a  good  crop.  From  the  appearance  of  the 
15 


170  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

high  lands  which  I  saw,  in  passing  along  the 
southerly  coast,  it  seemed  to  me  that  the  cli- 
mate, in  some  parts  of  it  at  least,  must  be 
healthy ;  but,  generally  among  those  best  ac- 
quainted with  the  island,  the  climate  is  pro- 
nounced bad.  One  of  the  boarding-houses  at 
St.  Croix  is  kept  by  a  lady  who  owns  an 
estate  in  Porto  Rico,  but  will  not  reside  upon 
it  on  account  of  its  unhealthiness.  A  gentle- 
man now  residing  at  Key  West  for  his  health 
informed  me.  however,  that  he  spent  part  of  a 
winter  at  Porto  Rico  very  pleasantly,  and  had 
found  no  fault  with  the  climate.  This,  to- 
gether with  its  situation  and  appearance,  con- 
vinced me  that  the  south-westerly  part  of  it 
must  enjoy  a  fine  climate.  To  the  northward 
and  eastward,  too  many  rains  are  attracted  to 
it  in  the  same  manner  as  at  St.  Croix,  and  the 
soil  being  rich,  new,  and  deep,  no  doubt  re- 
tains sufficient  moisture  to  produce  fevers ; 
and,  as  this  part  is  generally  most  settled,  the 
general  reputation  of  unhealthiness  has  fol- 
lowed as  a  matter-of-course.  A  person  able 
to  enjoy  himself  in  travelling  would  probably 
travel  there  without  injury,  and  perhaps  with 
benefit  to  his  health ;  but  the  modes  of  con- 
veyance and  other  accommodations  for  tra- 


WEST  INDIES  AND  FLORIDA.    171 

vellers  would  not  be  likely  to  suit  an  Ameri- 
can, and  Cuba,  Jamaica,  or  the  Spanish  Main, 
would  present  a  far  more  interesting  field  for 
the  observations  of  the  traveller. 

The  Windward  Islands,  as  they  are  called 
at  St.  Thomas  and  St.  Croix,  were  considered 
by  many  well  worth  the  expense  of  a  visit, 
though  I  never  heard  one  of  them  spoken  of 
as  a  favourable  resort  for  invalids,  and  from 
the  description  of  them,  contained  in  Halliday's 
West  Indies,  it  appears  that  most,  if  not  all,  of 
them  are  unhealthy.  An  English  steamboat 
runs  from  one  to  the  other,  and  from  thence  to 
Jamaica,  touching  at  St.  Thomas,  making 
regular  trips,  and  carrying  a  mail,  but  the  fare 
is  too  high  to  suit  Americans,  who  are  in  the 
habit  of  going  by  steam  for  from  one  to  two 
dollars  the  hundred  miles.  From  St.  Thomas 
to  Jamaica,  a  distance  of  about  five  hundred 
miles,  it  is  sixty  dollars,  besides  one  dollar  and 
fifty  cents  per  day  for  meals,  and  for  other 
places  in  proportion.  A  fellow-passenger 
from  St.  Croix  to  Trinidad,  had  visited  Mar- 
tinico,  St.  Vincent,  Barbadoes,  Nevis,  Trini- 
dad, and  several  other  islands ;  and,  although 
highly  pleased  with  the  situation  and  beauti- 
ful scenery  of  several,  particularly  those 


172  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

belonging  to  the  British,  he  agreed  with  me 
in  preferring  the  climate  of  Trinidad  de  Cuba 
to  any  he  had  ever  known.  He  found  no  per- 
ceptible improvement  of  his  health,  till  after 
about  two  weeks'  residence  at  the  latter  place, 
when  it  became  so  great,  that,  contrary  to  his 
previous  intention  of  returning  to  Philadelphia 
in  the  same  vessel,  he  concluded  to  remain  for 
a  month  or  two  longer,  and  was  enjoying  the 
luxury  of  a  fine  climate,  with  continued  bene- 
fit, at  the  time  of  my  departure. 

The  Spanish  Main,  situate  in  a  favourable 
latitude,  with  ample  extent  of  territory,  and 
choice  of  elevation  from  the  plains  on  a  level 
with  the  ocean,  to  the  loftiest  mountains, 
must  afford  many  excellent  locations  in  point 
of  salubrity  of  climate.  An  invalid  disposed 
to  travelling  could  scarcely  find  a  country  in 
the  tropical  regions  holding  out  greater  at- 
tractions, but  he  must  have  the  requisite 
amount  of  health  left,  to  endure  fatigue  and 
such  fore  as  he  meets  with,  there  being  no 
boarding-house  to  fix  up  dainties  for  the  deli- 
cate, or  any  other  suitable  provision  for  the 
accommodation  of  the  feeble.  Some  of  those 
at  St.  Croix  made  an  excursion  thither,  and 
were  much  pleased  with  the  tour.  There  are 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  173 

frequent  opportunities  thither  from  St.  Tho- 
mas, and  very  good  vessels  are  constantly  sail- 
ing to  and  from  New- York,  and  Laguira,  and 
Porto  Cabello. 

Jamaica  is  a  large  British  island,  situate  in 
a  favourable  latitude,  with  abundance  of  high, 
dry,  and  some  very  mountainous  situations  ; 
and  from  all  the  information  I  can  obtain,  with- 
out a  single  cause  of  unhealthiness  of  climate. 
Still,  while  every  one  agrees  in  pronouncing 
it  a  very  beautiful  country,  presenting  many 
attractions,  I  have  never  heard  it  recommended 
as  a  resort  for  invalids,  but,  on  the  contrary, 
almost  every  one,  in  general  terms,  pronounces 
it  unhealthy.  The  city  of  Kingston,  from  its 
peculiar  situation,  is  subject  to  yellow  fever 
at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and,  as  that  is  the 
principal  port  of  entry,  all  strangers  going 
there  naturally  take  their  impressions  of  the 
place  from  the  prevalent  opinion  of  the  resi- 
dents of  the  city,  without  particularly  inquir- 
ing into  the  distinguishing  circumstances 
between  town  and  country.  It  is  impossible 
for  me  to  believe,  however,  that  there  are  no 
favourable  locations  for  invalids  in  Jamaica. 
Mountains  and  clear  rivers  are  highly 
favourable  circumstances  to  the  salubrity  of 
15* 


174  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

climate  any  where,  particularly  in  a  tropi- 
cal latitude.  The  variation  in  elevation  is 
great  enough  to  give  ample  choice  of  temper- 
ature, from  perpetual  summer  heat,  to  the 
temperature  of  fall  and  spring,  in  New  Eng- 
land. In  the  higher  regions,  the  apple  flour- 
ishes well,  and  it  must  there  be  cool  enough 
for  any  body ;  and  no  one  will  dispute  that  the 
lower  ones  are  hot  enough.  Consumptions 
sometimes  occur  here,  probably  among  the 
mountains ;  and  two  years  ago,  one  of  the  in- 
valids at  St.  Croix  was  a  consumptive  patient 
from  Jamaica.  Circumstances  like  this  have 
no  doubt  contributed  to  the  generally  unfa- 
vourable reputation  of  the  climate. 

Those  disposed  to  travel  might  do  well  at 
least  to  give  it  a  fair  examination.  If  dissatis- 
fied, it  is  easy  to  get  away ;  but  the  expenses 
of  travelling  and  living  there  are  greater  than 
any  where  in  Cuba,  except  Havana.  Those 
who  are  anxious  to  witness  the  practical  ope- 
ration of  the  aboliton  of  slavery,  will  find  an 
additional  inducement  to  visit  the  island.  I 
have  heard  many  speak  of  it  as  highly  disas- 
trous to  the  interests  of  the  country.  Property 
of  all  hinds  has  fallen  ;  in  fine,  business  has 
almost  come  to  a  stand,  it  being  impossible  to 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  175 

procure  labourers  to  carry  on  the  plantations. 
The  daily  wages  of  negroes  is  only  twenty- 
five  cents  besides  their  board,  which,  in  point 
of  economy,  would  be  better  than  to  have 
them  slaves;  but  the  difficulty  is,  they  will 
never  work  more  than  three  days  at  a  time. 
Seventy-five  cents  makes  them  rich,  and  they 
are  obliged  to  take  the  next  three  days  to  spend 
the  money.     It  is  said,  with  how  much  accu- 
racy I  am  unable  to  say,  that  in  a  warm  cli- 
mate, where  the  actual  necessities  of  life  can 
be  so  easily  procured,  the  natural  improvi- 
dence and  indolence  of  the  negro  race  ren- 
ders it  impossible  to  induce  them  to  work, 
and  that  the  recently  freed  slaves  are  gene- 
rally an  insolent,  indolent,  and,  in  all  respects, 
worthless   class    of  people.      Exceptions  .no 
doubt  there  are,  but  this  is  the  general  charac- 
ter.    I  have  heard  no  one  who  had  ever  been 
there  express  a  contrary  opinion. 

The  island  of  Cuba  has  so  many  cities  and 
towns  besides  those  I  have  visited,  that  a  few 
general  remarks  in  relation  to  several  of  them, 
and  the  island  in  general,  can  scarcely  fail  of 
proving  acceptable  to  the  reader.  It  is  about 
seven  hundred  miles  long,  extending  from 
south-east  to  north-west,  contains  from  seven 


176  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

hundred  thousand  to  a  million  inhabitants,  has 
a  luxuriant  soil,  healthy  climate,  and  is  by  far 
the  most  important  of  all  the  West  Indies. 
Formerly  the  Government  was  committed  to 
men  unworthy  of  so  important  a  trust,  under 
whose  administration  crimes  became  preva- 
lent, and  went  unpunished,  bribery  furnish- 
ing a  good  defence  to  all  accusations,  and 
purchasing  exemption  from  all  penalties. 
About  ten  years  since,  the  Government  of 
Spain  appointed  one  Tacon  Captain-Gen- 
eral, with  full  powers  over  all  the  pro- 
vinces and  provincial  Governors  of  the 
island.  Under  his  vigorous  administration  a 
code  of  laws  was  established  and  enforced ; 
pirates  and  robbers  had  their  heads  taken  off 
and  suspended  in  a  kind  of  cage  along  the 
streets,  as  a  warning  to  evil-doers  ;  thieves, 
blacklegs,  and  swindlers,  were  put  in  prison, 
and  set  to  work  in  improving  the  cities  ;  and 
it  soon  became  unsafe  to  attempt  to  carry  on 
lawsuits  by  bribery  and  perjury.  Although 
lie  has  ceased  to  be  Captain-General,  the  com- 
munity are  still  enjoying  the  blessings  of  his 
laws  and  regulations ;  and,  in  no  country  per- 
haps on  earth,  is  there  a  greater  regard  paid  to 
the  laws,  or  fewer  crimes  committed. 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  177 

Before  Tacon  was  Captain-General,  the 
planters  and  other  wealthy  men  took  their 
own  time  to  pay  such  debts  as  were  owing  to 
poorer  persons,  or,  rather,  did  not  pay  them  at 
all.  It  was  in  vain  to  sue,  for  the  expenses  of 
litigation  were  such,  that  a  poor  man  could 
never  enforce  a  claim  against  a  wealthy  debt- 
or. Tacon  adopted  a  new  plan  of  enforcing 
the  claims  of  the  poor  against  the  rich.  When 
complaint  was  made  in  behalf  of  the  former 
against  the  latter,  instead  of  sending  a  writ, 
the  Governor  would  send  to  the  defendant 
a  requisition  to  appear  before  him  at  an  ap- 
pointed hour.  When  he  arrived  he  would 
ask  him  if  he  owed  such  a  person.  The  an- 
swer would  be  "yes,  but  it  is  not  convenient  to 
pay  it  now ;  I  will  pay  it  in  six  months."  The 
Governor  would  then  pay  the  debt  himself, 
and  tell  the  defendant  to  recollect  the  Captain- 
General  was  his  creditor,  and  the  day  of  pay- 
ment must  be  remembered.  Creditors,  of 
course,  were  well  pleased  with  this  new  mode 
of  enforcing  claims;  and  defendants,  however 
displeased,  were  obliged  to  pay  their  debts,  or 
contend  with  an  opponent  more  powerful 
than  themselves. 

There  is  a  standing  army  of  about  eighteen 


178  A   WINTER    IN   THE 

thousand  men  stationed  in  the  different  cities, 
all  paid,  fed,  and  clothed  at  the  expense  of  the 
Government,  almost  exclusively  for  the  pur- 
pose of  maintaining  public  order  and  insuring 
public  tranquillity.  Every  soldier  is  a  police- 
man, whose  especial  duty  it  is  to  prevent  af- 
frays, riots,  &c.  &c.,  and  arrest  and  secure  all 
disturbers  of  the  public  peace.  If  a  citizen  or 
stranger  is,  from  any  cause,  apprehensive  of 
an  attack  in  going  through  the  city  at  night,  a 
soldier,  or  more  if  necessary,  will  go  with  him 
and  protect  him  from  all  harm.  I  was  pleased 
with  the  fine  appearance  of  the  troops.  They 
are  mostly  young  men,  exclusively  Spaniards, 
well  fed  and  neatly  clad,  always  having  a 
clean  suit  every  morning,  and  not  a  man  of 
them  ever  gets  drunk.  Our  army  might,  in 
several  particulars,  take  lessons  from  these 
Spanish  troops  with  decided  advantage. 

All  articles  imported  pay  a  duty  of  about 
thirty  per  cent.,  and  American  flour  is  charged 
with  the  enormous  duty  of  ten  dollars  per  bar- 
rel. The  duty  on  salt  also  is  about  as  exorbi- 
tant. Instead  of  laying  light  duties  on  articles 
of  necessity,  they  put  on  the  more  ;  because, 
being  articles  of  prime  necessity,  there  is  no 
danger  that  the  duty  will  prevent  the  impor- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  179 

tation.     Aliens   are  permitted  to  own  real 
estate,   without  becoming    naturalized,   and 
without  extraordinary  taxes.     Many  of  our 
citizens  are  owning  plantations  there,  and  de- 
riving  from  them   a  great   income.     Sugar 
estates    are    extremely   profitable,   generally 
yielding  from  forty  to  fifty  per  cent,  per  an- 
num on  the  money  invested  ;  but  it  takes 
three  or  four  years,  with  a  large  capital,  to 
get  fairly  under-way,  and  but  few  have  the 
requisite   amount  of  money  to  get  success- 
fully in  operation.     In  the  province  of  Fer- 
nandina,  adjoining   Trinidad   on   the  west, 
there  is  plenty  of  sugar-land  in  market  on  the 
following   terms,  to  wit :    First  two   years, 
gratis  ;  next  eight  years,  forty-five  dollars  to 
the  one  hundred  acres,  annual   rent ;    after 
that,  seventy-five  dollars   the  one  hundred 
acres  for  ever.     This  exemption  from   rent 
for  the  first  two  years,  is  given  to  encourage 
the   commencement  of  sugar  estates.     The 
land  is  described  as  of  an  excellent  quality, 
surpassing  that  of  Trinidad.     Last  year,  the 
exports  from  the  province  were  only  about 
one-tenth  ;  this  year,  nearly  one-fourth  ;  and 
in  a  few  years,  will  no  doubt  equal,  if  not  ex- 
ceed, those  of  Trinidad.     St.  Furgos  is  the 


180  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

capital  and  only  port  of  entry,  and  is  situate 
on  the  southerly  side  of  the  island,  about 
forty  miles  to  the  west  of  Trinidad.  From 
the  appearance  of  the  country  in  passing^ 
and  its  vicinity  to  Trinidad,  I  have  no  doubt 
the  climate  is  good.  It  has  not,  however, 
such  a  barrier  of  mountains  on  the  north  to 
protect  it  from  the  cold  winds. 

Cardinas,  a  town  about  twenty  miles  east- 
erly of  Matanzas,  on  the  north  side  of  the 
island,  has  lately  been  made  a  port  of  entry, 
and  has  plenty  of  unimproved  good  cane 
lands  in  its  vicinity,  to  be  had  at  about  the 
same  terms  as  those  of  Fernandina.  A  rail- 
road is  to  be  constructed  from  thence  to  the 
cane-growing  regions  in  the  interior,  which 
will  make  it  a  place  of  considerable  import- 
ance. These  facilities  for  opening  sugar 
estates  strongly  incline  the  coffee-planters 
to  sell  their  estates,  and  take  up  this  new 
land.  Such  is  the  expectation  of  profit  from 
the  newly  made  sugar  estates,  that  coffee 
estates  may  be  bought  at  a  sum  which  will 
realize  twenty-five  per  cent,  per  annum  from 
the  yearly  income.  The  price  of  coffee 
estates  varies,  according  to  the  quantity  of 
land  and  number  of  slaves,  from  ten  to  fifty 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  181 

thousand  dollars.  Sugar  estates  are  gener- 
ally larger,  require  more  slaves,  and  produce 
from  twenty  to  a  hundred  and  fifty  thousand 
dollars  per  annum.  Nothing  can  be  more 
beautiful  than  a  coffee  estate,  or  furnish  a 
more  neat  pleasant  business,  for  a  gentleman 
who  wishes  to  live  at  his  ease,  in  a  fine  cli- 
mate, and  with  a  home  that  will  supply  every 
luxury  of  life.  If  gentlemen  who  have  the 
means,  instead  of  going  to  the  West  Indies 
for  a  single  winter,  when  they  find  pulmo- 
nary complaints  approaching,  and  then  re- 
turning to  the  north,  where  the  summers  are 
almost  as  bad  for  the  lungs  as  the  winters, 
could  be  persuaded  to  buy  an  estate  and  re^ 
move  to  Cuba  at  once,  they  would  stand  a 
much  better  chance  of  ultimate  recovery ; 
and,  at  all  events,  contribute  greatly  to  their 
own  happiness  during  the  residue  of  their 
lives.  Many,  however,  would  almost  prefer 
death,  at  home,  to  an  exile  from  their  coun- 
try ;  but  I  am  satisfied  that  most  of  their  im- 
pressions upon  that  subject  are  founded  in 
prejudice. 

The  Catholic   religion,  and  the  mode  of 
burying  strangers,  have  had  their  influence 
in  deterring  our  citizens  from  removing  to 
16 


182  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

Cuba.  I  had  supposed  that  every  one  would 
be  compelled  to  pay  a  tax  for  the  support  of 
the  church,  but  it  is  not  so ;  no  one  pays  un- 
less he  chooses ;  nor  do  the  church  or  the 
Government  interfere  with  private  opinion  as 
long  as  there  is  no  open  opposition  to  the 
church.  By  their  laws,  however,  children 
must  be  christened ;  marriage  and  funeral 
ceremonies  performed  by  the  Catholic  church ; 
and,  for  every  thing  of  the  kind,  an  ample  fee 
is  imposed,  by  way  of  support  to  the  estab- 
lished religion. 

The  expenses  of  a  respectable  burial  are 
from  two  to  five  hundred  dollars,  and  about 
the  same  for  sending  the  body  out  of  the 
country.  The  keepers  of  all  public  houses 
are  subjected  to  a  penalty  of  fifty  dollars  for 
every  neglect  to  report  the  death  of  any  stran- 
ger in  their  house,  within  twenty-four  hours. 
Their  manner  of  disposing  the  bodies  of  de- 
ceased strangers  whose  friends  do  not  furnish 
the  requisite  amount  of  money,  is  shocking 
to  the  feelings  of  our  countrymen.  At  Ha- 
vana there  is  not  sufficient  room  in  the  stran- 
gers' burying  ground  to  allow  the  bodies  a 
grave  a-piece,  or  time  to  decompose,  before 
being  thrown  up  again  in  digging  new 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  183 

graves.  No  parade  is  made  over  the  body 
unless  the  regular  church  ceremony  is  paid 
for ;  but  four  negroes  carry  it  in  a  coffin  to 
the  grave,  which  is  always  ready  dug  in  ad- 
vance, deep  enough  to  admit  of  several ;  turn 
the  coffin  over,  and  empty  its  contents  into 
the  grave ;  throw  over  a  little  dirt ;  and,  with 
the  same  coffin,  go  for  another;  and,  when 
that  is  deposited,  throw  over  a  little  more 
dirt,  and  so  on  as  long  as  any  room  is  left. 
When  the  whole  ground  has  been  dug  over 
in  this  manner,  the  same  process  is  gone 
through  with  again  ;  and,  as  there  are  no 
coffins  in  the  way,  the  bones  are  not  much  of 
an  impediment  to  the  digging.  Dry  bones 
lay  scattered  about  the  surface,  and  piles  of 
them  are  raked  up  in  the  corners  of  this  great 
Potter's  Field.  In  other  places  there  is  suffi- 
cient room  for  graves,  but  the  mode  of  inter- 
ment, in  other  respects,  is  the  same.  This  has 
often  been  spoken  of  by  Americans  as  one  of 
the  principal  objections  to  a  residence  in 
Cuba.  It  Avould,  however,  have  but  little 
weight  with  me,  if  in  other  respects  I  found 
it  of  advantage  to  go  there,  as  comforts 
during  life  are,  in  my  estimation,  of  more  con- 
sequence than  ceremonies  after  4eath ;  and 


184  A    WINTER    IN   THE 

those  ceremonies  can  be  had,  for  the  satis- 
faction of  friends,  by  paying  the  necessary- 
charges.  This  is  the  mode  adopted  there  to 
defray  the  expenses  of  the  church  ;  and,  how- 
ever contrary  to  our  feelings,  is  in  reality  no 
worse,  if  as  bad,  as  a  perpetual  tax  during 
life  for  the  same  purpose.  In  St.  Croix  also 
the  same  principle  is  adopted,  though  the 
charge  is  not  so  high  for  a  funeral ;  but  for 
carrying  aAvay  a  body,  about  two  hundred 
dollars  must  be  paid.  As  an  equivalent  for 
these  expenses,  and  the  high  duties  on  im- 
ports, the  Government  is  very  indulgent  as 
to  taxes  upon  real  estate  :  the  encouragement 
of  agriculture  being  with  them  a  favourite 
object.  If  heavy  taxes,  on  the  whole,  are 
paid  to  the  Government,  it  should  be  remem- 
bered that  they  are  not  paid  for  nothing ;  but 
thereby  the  inhabitants  secure  the  enjoyment 
of  their  property,  and  are  relieved  from  the 
apprehension  of  a  rebelling  of  the  slaves, 
which  they  would  constantly  labour  under; 
but  for  a  standing  army,  kept  always  ready 
to  put  down  the  first  efforts  at  insurrection. 
On  the  whole,  the  island  is  far  better  go- 
verned than  Spain  itself,  and  the  inhabitants 
are  generally  well  satisfied  to  let  things  remain. 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  185 

as  they  are.  Those  that  have  property,  are  of 
course  fearful  of  change ;  and  those  that  have 
not,  are  too  lazy  and  indolent  a  class  of  peo- 
ple ever  to  be  roused  to  a  spirit  of  inde- 
pendence. 

So  great  is  the  indolence  of  the  poorer 
classes,  that  no  advantage  is  taken  of  the 
thousand  opportunities  almost  every-where 
presented  for  the  profitable  application  of  uir 
dustry.  Scarcely  half  the  land  has  ever  been 
cultivated  at  all,  and  much  of  it  may  be  had 
at  prices  which  place  it  within  the  power  of 
almost  every  one  to  become  a  freeholder. 
But  as  long  as  a  cjgar  can  be  obtained,  smok- 
ing is  preferred  to  any  kind  of  exertion,  no- 
matter  how  great  the  reward.  Vegetables  are 
higher  in  Trinidad  market  than  in-  New- 
York,  and  are  sometimes  scarce ;  and  yet, 
there  are  abundance  of  lands  within  one  mile 
of  the  city  entirely  uncultivated,  which, 
though  not  of  the  first  quality,  would  yield 
handsome  incomes,  with  American  industry 
and  enterprise  to  manage  them. 

I  have  spoken  very  favourably  of  the  cli- 
mate of  Trinidad,    and  unfavourably  of  St. 
Jago  de  Cuba.    It  may   be   asked   why  one 
should  not  be  as  good  as  the  other,  when  both 
16* 


186  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

are,  in  many  respects,  similarly  situated?  The 
answer  is,  that  although  St.  Jago  is  on  the 
south  side  of  the  island,  and  has  mountains 
on-  the  north,  like  Trinidad,  the  former  is 
closely  hemmed  in  on  all  sides,  so  as  to  ex- 
pose it  to  the  hot  sun,  without  a  free  circula- 
tion of  air ;  whereas,  the  latter  is  entirely  free 
from  obstruction  to  any  wind,  except  the 
north.  The  country  in  the  vicinity  of  St. 
Jago  is  said  to  be  perfectly  healthy;  and  I 
have  no  doubt  there  are  other  places  as  fa- 
vourably situated,  in  respect  to  salubrity  of 
climate,  as  Trinidad,  but  it  is  almost  impossible 
to  conceive  of  any  that  can  be  more  so.  On 
the  south  side  of  the  island,  opposite  Havana, 
though  warm  enough,  the  air  was  as  much 
worse  than  that  of  Trinidad,  as  the  climate  of 
the  swampy  regions  of  central  New- York  is 
worse  than  that  of  the  most  approved  situa- 
tion on  the  sea-board  in  summer.  This  is  the 
natural  consequence  of  frequent  rains,  a  moist 
soil,  and  rank  vegetation.  Havana  and  its 
vicinity  have  all  these,  and  frequent  northers 
besides.  Those  who  merely  wish  to  get 
away  from  the  severity  of  northern  winters, 
and  enjoy  the  luxurious  living  of  a  large  city, 
will  find  Havana  a  place,  in  almost  every  res- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  187 

pect,  agreeable  to  their  wishes.    Real  invalids, 
however,  had  better  try  some  other  place. 

Indian  Key  is  a  small  island,  containing 
only  about  six  acres  of  land,  situate  about 
sixty  miles  eastwardly  from  Key  West ;  and  is 
owned  by  a  single  individual,  who  has  ex- 
pended large  sums  of  money  in  erecting 
buildings,  to  make  it  a  suitable  resort  for 
invalids,  but  with  little  success.  The  climate 
is  similar  to  that  of  Key  West,  and  its  soil  is 
far  superior,  producing  a  few  plantains  and 
other  West  India  vegetables.  Several  adjacent 
Keys  also  produce  them  in  considerable  abun- 
dance. The  owner  is  now  making  efforts  to 
get  it  established  as  a  port  of  entry,  with  what 
success  remains  to  be  seen.  As  a  resort  for 
invalids,  it  has  nearly  all  the  objections  of 
Key  West,  besides  its  very  limited  dimensions, 
which  must  always  prevent  its  successful 
competition  with  that  place.  Several  other 
little  Keys  in  its  vicinity  are  about  being 
fitted  up  for  the  same  purpose,  but  can  never 
reasonably  hope  to  succeed  to  any  consider- 
able extent.  When  several  of  them  shall 
come  to  be  inhabited,  the  monotony  may  be 
broken  by  passing  from  one  to  the  other ;  and, 
between  them  and  Key  West,  many  will,  no 


188  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

doubt,  pass  off  a  winter  with  tolerable  pa- 
tience ;  but  time  passes  slowly  on  these  little 
islands,  and,  as  long  as  the  West  Indies  fur- 
nish a  better  climate  and  greater  attractions, 
they  must  and  will  be  preferred  to  any  place 
in  our  country,  by  a  great  majority  of  travel- 
ling invalids.  Cape  Florida  has  been  much 
thought  of,  as  possessing  a  fine  climate,  good 
soil,  and  other  natural  advantage^,  superior  to 
either  of  the  above-mentioned  Keys ;  butr  for 
the  present^  the  settlement  is  broken  up,  and 
every  inhabitant  driven  off  by  the  Indian  war. 
When  the  Indians  broke  up  the  settlement, 
after  having  killed  or  taken  all  the  other  in- 
habitants, they  proceeded  to  the  light-house  to 
take  the  keeper  and  his  family,  if  any.  He 
had  with  him  only  one  person,  and  that  a 
slave.  As  the  enemy  entered  below,  he  as- 
cended the  stairs,  tearing  them  up  after  him, 
to  prevent  their  following.  In  this  he  was 
successful,  but  he  found  another  difficulty  to 
contend  with.  They  set  fire  to  the  wood- 
work within,  which  blazed  through  to  the  top, 
and  compelled  the  unfortunate  refugees  to  get 
on  to  the  top  of  the  wall,  thus  exposing 
themselves  to  the  heat  of  the  flames,  and 
but  illy  protecting  themselves  from  the  fire  of 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  189 

the  enemy.  The  negro  was  scorched  to 
death,  and  the  keeper,  after  getting  a  ball-hole 
through  one  of  his  hands  and  each  of  his  feet, 
was  abandoned  by  the  Indians,  and  was  after- 
wards taken  down  and  saved. 

Even  when  this  obstacle  shall  be  removed, 
it  is  doubtful  whether  its  other  advantages 
over  Key  West  will  be  sufficient  to  compen- 
sate for  the  evil  of  about  two  degrees  higher 
north  latitude,  and  a  large  extent  of  very  low 
country  in  its  vicinity,  which,  in  spite  of  all 
that  may  be  said,  ever  must  affect  the  atmos- 
phere injuriously.  When  the  southern  part 
of  East  Florida  shall  become  more  settled, 
many  suppose  that  some  situation  in  the  inte- 
rior may  be  found,  more  favourable  to  health 
than  any  place  in  our  country  yet  known ; 
but,  until  such  discovery  is  made,  I  must  re- 
main of  the  opinion  that  a  country  abounding 
in  swamps  and  hammocks,  as  Florida  does, 
whenever  it  shall  become  fully  settled,  will 
find  invalids  enough  among  its  own  popula- 
tion, without  any  supply  from  other  places, 
and  that  the  invalids  of  the  north  will  always 
find  places  possessing  tenfold  advantages. 


190  A    WINTER    IN    THE 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Preparations; 

LADIES  travelling  for  their  health,  must  of 
course  go  under  the  care  of  some  friend  or 
relative  ;  but  gentlemen,  who  do  not  expect 
to  be  confined  to  their  room,  will  find  it  more 
convenient  to  leave  their  wives,  if  they  have 
any,  at  home,  especially  if  they  have  much 
disposition  to  travel.  The  opportunities  for 
passages  between  the  islands  are  often  un- 
suitable for  ladies,  but  such  as  would  answer 
for  gentlemen ;  and  any  one  who  has  tried  it 
cannot  doubt  that  ladies  are  not  the  best  tra- 
velling companions,  in  the  West  Indies.  Be- 
sides, it  is  not  generally  agreeable  to  them  to 
make  voyages  at  sea,  or  journeys  by  land, 
where  means  of  travelling  are  not  conve- 
nient. When,  however,  it  is  determined  to 
remain  at  one  place,  almost  every  married 
gentleman  would  enjoy  himself  much  better 
for  the  society,  if  not  for  the  care  and  atten- 
tion, of  his  wife. 

As  to  clothing,  although  a  sufficient  sup- 


WEST    INDIES    AND   FLORIDA.  191 

ply  of  cloaks,  over-coats,  thick  boots,  &c.  &c., 
should  be  taken  to  keep  warm  on  the  out- 
ward and  homeward  voyages,  it  should  always 
be  remembered,  that  light  summer  clothing 
will  be  principally  wanted  on  arrival  at,  and 
while  remaining  within,  the  tropics.     Flan- 
nel, however,  should  not  be  dispensed  with 
by  an  invalid  for  a  moment,  in  a  West  India 
or  any  other  climate.     However  uncomforta- 
ble by  day,  it  is  unsafe  to  be  without  it  at 
morning  and  evening.     At  St.  Augustine,  it 
is  too  cold  for  summer  clothing  at  all  during 
the  winter  months,  and,  at  Key  West,  it  will 
not  answer  more  than  half  of  the  time.     Fa- 
milies intending  to  keep  house,  should  not 
encumber  themselves  with  too  many  articles 
of  furniture  :  a  few  light  articles,  such  as  mat- 
tresses,   cots,  light  bedding,  a  sofa,  a  few 
chairs,  and  a  small  assortment  of  crockery 
and  cooking  utensils.     There  is  no  particu- 
lar importance  in  taking  any  articles  of  pro- 
visions, except  a  little  fine,  well  packed  but- 
ter, and  some  choice  cheese  ;  both  of  which 
are  articles  hard  to  be  purchased  in  the  West 
Indies.     Almost  every  other  article  can  be 
bought  in  abundance  almost  anywhere  ;  but 
there  would  be  no  loss  in  buying  many  other 


192  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

things  at  home.  Let  none  omit  to  take  such 
medicines  as  may  be  needed,  for  the  cost  of 
drugs  of  every  kind  is  outrageous  in  all  the 
islands,  as  far  as  my  knowledge  extends. 
None  but  licensed  druggists  can  sell,  and 
they  avail  themselves  of  the  advantage  of  a 
monopoly.  As  specimens,  I  need  only  men* 
tion  that,  at  St.  Croixj  they  asked  twenty 
cents  an  ounce  for  stick  licorice,  which  is- 
worth  eight  cents  a  pound ;  and  in  Cuba, 
fifty  cents  an  ounce  for  super  carbonate  of 
soda,  worth  twenty-five  cents  a  pound. 

Some  took  their  horses  and  carriages  to  St. 
Croix,  which  was  well  enough  as  to  the  car- 
riages ;  but  horses  could  be  bought  there 
cheaper  than  in  New- York,  and  it  cost  as 
much  as  their  whole  value  to  carry  them  out. 
To  almost  any  island  except  the  Danish, 
both  horses  and  carriages  would  be  charged 
too  high  a  duty  to  make  it  profitable  to  take 
either.  Horses  are  very  low  in  Cuba,  and 
the  duty  on  carriages  is  extravagant. 

As  to  money,  gold  and  silver  only  will  an- 
swer. Silver  dollars  are  good  any  where.  Pa- 
triot doubloons  for  the  Windward  Islands,  and 
Spanish  for  Cuba,  are  the  most  profitable  mo- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  193 

ney  that  can  be  taken,  there  being  about  one 
and  a  half  per  cent,  profit  on  each.  In  coming 
down  from  the  windward  to  Cuba,  something 
may  be  made  by  buying  Spanish  doubloons 
for  Patriots  at  a  premium  of  fifty  cents,  and 
selling  them  at  a  premium  of  one  dollar  each 
at  Havana. 

On  leaving  home,  many  are  apt  to  under- 
rate the  importance  of  securing  suitable  and 
prompt  correspondents,  so  that  every  arrival 
may  bring  them  something  fresh  from  home. 
Newspapers  and  literary  periodicals  are  also 
read  with  double  interest  when  abroad,  and 
due  care  should  be  taken  to  have  a  sufficient 
supply  promptly  forwarded.  By  some  mis- 
take of  my  friend,  I  was  without  any  direct 
information  from  home  during  the  whole 

o 

winter,  which  was  a  continual  source  of  an- 
noyance, disappointment,  and  irritation.  To 
watch  several  days  for  an  expected  vessel, 
straining  the  eyes  by  gazing  upon  the  sea,  and 
when  it  came,  find  neither  letter  or  paper  for 
me,  was  more  than  my  patience  could  endure 
without  sore  vexation ;  and  still  I  was  obliged 
to  submit  to  it  six  or  seven  times. 

Above  all  other  considerations,  prepare  to 
go  early —  early  in  the  stage  of  the  disease, 
17 


194  A    WINTER    IN    THE 

and  early  in  the  season.  Nearly  half  the  in- 
valids fail  to  derive  much  benefit  from  change 
of  climate,  solely  for  the  reason  that  they  have 
waited  till  their  cases  were  hopeless  before 
trying  it :  making  it  a  last,  and,  in  many  cases, 
an  entirely  useless  resort.  Instead  of  being 
the  last,  it  should  be  the  first  resort.  When- 
ever any  affection  of  the  lungs  continues  long- 
er than  an  ordinary  cold,  serious  danger  is 
always  justly  to  be  apprehended  ;  and  no  time 
should  be  lost  in  applying  the  most  effectual 
remedy — to  wit,  a  mild,  gentle  climate,  with 
even  temperature.  How  much  more  pleasant, 
as  well  as  advantageous  it  is,  to  go  while 
able  to  enjoy  the  benefit  of  exercise  by  tra- 
velling in  the  open  air,  with  almost  a  cer- 
tainty of  effecting  a  cure,  than  to  delay  till 
the  disease  has  got  firm  foothold,  so  as  to 
confine  one  to  the  house,  and  render  the  re- 
covery doubtful,  if  not  entirely  hopeless.  I 
have  heard  so  many  express  such  deep  re- 
gret, that  they  had  not  availed  themselves  of 
the  remedy  before  it  was  too  late,  that  I  can- 
not forbear  to  impress  upon  every  invalid  the 
importance  of  fleeing  from  the  severe  climate 
of  the  north,  on  the  first  appearance  of  dis- 
ease, as  he  would  from  the  most  merciless 


WEST    INDIES    AND   FLORIDA.  195 

and  deadly  enemy.  Instead  of  waiting  till 
December,  as  I  did,  go  in  September,  and 
thus  avoid  the  fall  months,  which  are  as  bad, 
if  not  worse,  than  winter ;  and,  instead  of  re- 
turning in  April,  as  I  was  compelled  to  do, 
by  previous  arrangements,  make  arrange- 
ments before  leaving,  not  to  return  till  the 
first  of  June.  In  a  climate  where  the  tem- 
perature is  subject  to  changes  of  forty  degrees 
a  day,  the  summer  months  are  quite  bad 
enough  for  invalids — fall,  winter,  and  spring, 
extremely  dangerous,  if  not  deadly.  Many 
suppose  the  heat  will  be  too  great  to  remain 
late  in  the  West  Indies  ;  but  this  is  a  mistake, 
for  they  are  not  subject  to  as  great  heat 
during  the  summer  as  our  northern  States, 
and  there  is  generally  but  about  ten  degrees 
difference  between  summer  and  winter.  In 
cases  of  any  considerable  long  standing,  the 
best  course  would  be  to  remain  eighteen 
months,  at  least,  before  returning,  instead  of 
rushing  into  the  cold  spring  winds  of  the 
north  just  as  the  work  of  recovery  is  fairly 
commenced.  Many  have  gone  from  the 
West  Indies  apparently  well,  and  died  imme- 
diately on  their  return.  In  many  cases  a 
warm  climate  furnishes  a  perfect  remedy  as 


196  A    WINTER    IN   THE 

long  as  it  is  continued,  but  will  never  restore 
the  patient  so  as  to  enable  him  to  be  com- 
fortable at  the  north.  Whenever  this  is 
found  to  be  the  case,  however  severe  it  may 
seem,  it  is  far  better  to  abandon  home  and 
remove  to  a  more  hospitable  climate  at  once. 
I  know  the  sacrifice  is  great,  but  ought  not 
to  weigh  against  the  loss  of  health,  happi- 
ness, and  life  itself.  Many,  after  getting 
reconciled  to  the  idea  of  leaving  their  own 
country,  will  find  the  sacrifice  often  not  so 
great  as  was  anticipated.  Many  places  in 
the  West  Indies  offer  ample  rewards  to  the 
enterprising  and  economical  investment  of 
capital,  afford  all  the  means  of  an  agree- 
able, or  even  luxurious  mode  of  living,  and  a 
frequency  of  communication  with  the  United 
States  almost  equal  to  that  afforded  by  our 
mails  between  distant  places  in  our  own 
country.  Many  may  still  adhere  to  the 
opinion  that  some  place  in  our  southern 
States  or  Territories  may  answer  the  purpose  ; 
but  after  having  tried  it,  if  not  before,  they 
will  learn  the  mistake.  Key  West,  though 
far  superior  in  point  of  climate  to  any  other 
place  at  home,  is  too  cold  in  winter ;  and,  of 
course,  places  four  or  five  hundred  miles  fur- 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  197 

ther  north  must  be  subject  to  the  same  objec- 
tion in  a  greater  degree ;  besides  the  general 
unhealthiness  of  almost  every  place  that 
could  be  resorted  to  with  any  prospect  of 
engaging  in  trade,  agriculture,  or  other  lu- 
crative pursuit.  I  have  sought  in  vain  to 
find  a  single  position  free  from  these  objec- 
tions, and,  if  driven  finally  from  the  north, 
shall  give  the  island  of  Cuba  the  preference 
to  all  other  places. 

Not  being  a  physician,  it  is  impossible  for 
me  to  specify  with  accuracy  the  particular 
diseases  or  states  of  disease  which  would  be 
most  benefitted  by  one  or  other  of  the  climates 
above  mentioned.  Upon  this  point  every  one 
must  consult  his  own  physician,  who,  with  a 
proper  knowledge  of  the  facts,  will  be  able  to 
give  the  proper  advice,  not  only  as  to  the  best 
place  of  resort,  but  also  as  to  the  course  to  be 
pursued  by  the  invalid  on  the  way,  and  after 
his  arrival.  No  one  should  neglect  this  prepa- 
ration. Clarke  on  Climate  and  Diseases  may 
be  read  with  advantage  upon  this  subject. 
He  considered  the  selection  of  a  climate,  and 
a  careful  attention  to  the  diet  and  exercise  of 
each  particular  patient,  matters  of  the  first 
importance.  The  advice  of  a  good  physician, 


A    WINTER    IN    THE 

therefore,  should  never  be  neglected.  In  se- 
vere cases  it  is  quite  as  important  in  regard 
to  the  preparation  for  the  voyage  or  journey 
as  in  relation  to  the  treatment,  diet,  and  exer- 
cise on  arrival  at  the  place  of  destination. 

Persons  in  delicate  health,  though  not 
seriously  threatened  with  disease,  and  all 
others  sensitive  to  the  effects  of  cold,  instead 
of  confining  themselves  within  doors,  and 
hovering  around  fires  for  six  months  in  the 
year,  will  find  themselves  amply  rewarded 
for  a  voyage  to  the  West  Indies,  in  the  in- 
creased enjoyment  of  life,  independent  of 
any  permanent  improvement  of  health.— 
Although  the  general  tenor  of  my  observa- 
tions in  the  course  of  the  preceding  work  is 
more  particularly  applicable  to  invalids  and 
the  effects  of  the  different  climates  above  de- 
scribed in  cases  of  disease,  it  has  been  my 
constant  endeavour  to  intersperse  the  work 
with  such  matters  as  would  excite  the  atten- 
tion and  interest  of  the  general  reader.  Those 
who  never  expect  to  visit  the  places  above 
described,  it  is  humbly  hoped,  will  derive  suf- 
ficient information  to  compensate  for  the  pe- 
rusal of  a  small  volume ;  and  invalids  and 
others  expecting  to  visit  the  West  Indies  will 


WEST    INDIES    AND    FLORIDA.  199 

probably  duly  appreciate  the  humble  endea- 
vour of  the  author  to  obviate  the  defect  of 
information  upon  a  subject  so  important  to 
their  interests.  That  the  work  has  been 
hastily  written,  is  undeniable :  of  its  imper- 
fections the  author  is  fully  aware ;  but,  that 
the  description  of  every  place  is,  in  all  re- 
spects, accurate,  impartial,  arid  fair,  is  most 
confidently  asserted.  All  contrary  accounts 
must  have  resulted  from  want  of  information, 
interest,  or  prejudice.  The  little  time  de- 
voted to  the  work,  the  inexperience  of  the 
author  in  the  art,  trade,  and  mystery  of  book- 
making,  and  a  pressure  of  delayed  profes- 
sional business,  foreign  to  the  subject  matter 
in  question,  have  conspired  to  prevent  a  pro- 
per pruning  of  the  language,  and  to  render 
the  work  obnoxious  to  critical  strictures.  In 
conclusion,  I  can  only  ask  the  indulgent 
consideration  of  the  reader,  and  tender  my 
sincere  thanks  for  a  patient  perusal. 


THE    END. 


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